South Koreans are getting two years younger!!

South Korean have become a year or two younger as a new law aligns the nation's two traditional age-counting methods with international standards. The law scraps one traditional system that deemed South Koreans one year old at birth, counting time in the womb.Another counted everyone as ageing by a year every first day of January instead of, on their birthdays.The switch to age-counting based on birth date took effect on Wednesday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol pushed strongly for the change when he ran for office last year. The traditional age-counting methods created "unecessary social and economic costs", he said. For instance, disputes have arisen over insurance pay-outs and determining eligibility for government assistance programmes. Previously, the most widely used calculation method in Korea was the centuries-old "Korean age" system, in which a person turns one at birth and gains a year on 1 January. This means a baby born on 31 December will be two years old the next day.

A seperate "counting age" system , that was also traditionally used in the country, considers a person zero at birth and adds a year on 1 January. This means that, for example, as of 28 June 2023, a person born on 29 June 2003 is 19 under the international system, 20 under the "counting age" system and 21 under the "Korean age" system. Lawmakers voted to scrap the traditional counting methods last December. Despite the move, many existing statues that count a person's age based on the "counting age" calendar year system will remain. For example, South Koreans can buy cigarettes and alcohol from the year - not the day - they turn 19. 

Three in four South Koreans were also in favour of the standardisatioon, according to a poll by local firm Hankook Research in January 2022. Some like Jeongsuk Woo, hope the change will help break down Korea's hierarchical culture."There is a subconscious layer of ageism in people's behaviour. This is evident even in the complex language system based on age... I hope the abolition of 'Korean age' system and the adaption of the international standard get rid of the old relics of the past", said the 28-year-old content creator.

Another resident Hyun Jeong Byun said: "I love it, beacuse now I'm two years younger. My birthday is in December, so I always felt like this Korean age system is making me socially older than what I actually am." Now that Korea is following the global standard, I no longer have to explain my 'Korean age' when I go obroad". The 31-year-old doctor said South Korea's medical sector has already been adopting the international age system. The traditional age-counting methods were also used by other East Asian countries, but most have dropped it. Japan adopted the international standard in 1950 while North Korea followed suit in the 1980s.

The system has attracted criticism in recent years from politicians who argue that it causes confusion and makes South Korea, a global technological and cultural power, appear out of step with the rest of the world. The president Yoon Suk Yeol, said the existing arrangements were a drain on the country's resources.

South Korea passed laws to scrap the traditional method and fully adopt the international standard last December. According to a government survey conducted in September 2022. 86% OF South Koreans said they would use the international age in their everyday life when the new laws took effect.

A measure approved by South Korea's parliament in December unifies the aging systems and adopts "international age" as its official way of calculating age.