Seoul, South Korea
CNN
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South Koreans are looking to become a year or two younger thanks to a new law passed Thursday that aims to standardize how age is calculated in South Korea.
Currently, there is not only one age for Koreans, but three, namely ‘international age’, ‘Korean age’ and ‘chronological age’.
But to end the chaos, the country’s parliament has decreed that from June 2023 all official documents must use the standard “international era”.
The move, which follows a lengthy debate on the issue, will bring the country in line with most of the rest of the world and reduce legal conflicts arising from the use of three different systems.
In Korea, an individual’s “international age” refers to the number of years since birth, starting at 0. This is the same system used in most other countries.
However, when asked about their age in an informal setting, most Koreans would answer “Korean age.” This could put him a year or two older than the “international age”.
Under this system, babies are one year old on the day they are born, and one year old is added on January 1st of each year.
In some cases, Koreans also use “calendar age” (a kind of mashup of international age and Korean age). This takes the day the baby is born as her 0 year old and adds her 1 year old to her age on January 1st of each year.
For example, “Gangnam Style” singer Psy. Born on December 31, 1977, he is considered 44 years old by international age. He is 45 calendar years old. And 46 in Korean age.
If this sounds confusing, it is because daily life in this country frequently switches between a jumble of different systems.
Most people use Korean age, which has its roots in China, in everyday life and social scenarios, while international age is used more often in legal and public matters, such as when dealing with civil law. will be
However, some laws (such as laws on drinking, smoking, and legal age for military service) use calendar years.
The law passed Thursday would standardize the use of international age across all “judicial and administrative fields,” according to the parliament’s website and documents related to the bill.
“State and local governments shall encourage their citizens to use the ‘International Age’ and shall implement necessary promotions to do so,” it states.
The decision is the result of years of campaigning by lawmakers tired of multiple systems.
According to Reuters, Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People’s Power Party said in parliament, “The amendment aims to reduce unnecessary socio-economic costs. Due to the different methods of calculating age, legal and Societal controversy and turmoil continue,” he said.
In another bill introduced by Rep. Huang Zhuhong in 2019, the three methods not only sowed confusion, but also created conflict by “fostering a culture of age-based hierarchy and avoiding specific months of childbirth.” claimed.