South Koreans to become younger as traditional age system scrapped

South Koreans will become one or two years younger on official documents, as the country prepares to get rid of its traditional age counting system.

In South Korea, babies are deemed 1-year-old the day they are born, and a year is added every January 1st. This means that a baby born on December 31st would be considered 2 as soon as the clock hits midnight.

Additionally, a separate method is used to calculate the legal age for smoking and drinking, in this case, age is calculated from zero at birth, with a year then added on January 1st of every year.

South Korea’s traditional age-counting methods have been a source of controversy in the country, with many politicians criticizing it for creating confusion and making the country seem behind the times.

As of June, a law stipulating the use of the international age-counting method will come into effect, putting an end to the confusion, at least on official documents.