Here's why a lot of South Koreans suddenly just found themselves a year or two younger

Seoul — A lot of South Koreans suddenly found themselves a year or two younger on Wednesday, as the country formally adopted the system of determining someone's age used broadly around the world – by simply counting the number of years from the date of their birth. That is not the way it has been done in the country up until now, at least not the only way.

The switch to the "international age" method was an effort by the government to ease confusion created by the three different ways age has long been calculated in South Korea.

The most popular way has long been referred to as "Korean age." In that system, a baby is considered one year old the second it is born – an effort to take into account a life that began in the womb. Under that system, on January 1, everyone in the country turns another year older.

As an example, if a child is born in December, just one month later the infant would be considered two years old, according to their "Korean age." 

The second method is "counting age," which is calculated by taking the current year and subtracting the year a person was born, which can vary by months from their "international age."

The persistence of all three systems within Korean society has long created confusion over everything from grammar and when people start school and compulsory military service, to the legal drinking age and when pensions kick in.

It's been perplexing enough for South Koreans for the country's leading internet search engine, a sort of Korean Google called Naver, to have offered an online tool to help people calculate their own age.

"The revision is aimed at reducing unnecessary socio-economic costs because legal and social disputes as well as confusion persist due to the different ways of calculating age," lawmaker Yoo Sang-bum, of the ruling People Power Party, said in parliament.

According to a statement issued by the government, an overwhelming majority of South Koreans polled said they were ready to use their international age to reduce confusion in the country. 

"I'm supposed to be 30 next year [Korean age], but with this new age system, I became two years younger!" Choi Hyun-ji, an office worker who most of the world would call 27 years old, told the Reuters news agency. "It's just great to feel like you're getting younger, and I feel a bit of distance from becoming 30. I'm so happy that I can celebrate this year's birthday once again at a younger age."

"I'm going to study abroad in the U.K., so I think it's less confusing that I don't need to explain about Korean age and just can say my international age in other countries, as we adopted the international age system," 19-year-old student Han Chae-yeon told Reuters.  

"I was worried that I would be banned from drinking even though I'm 20 (under the traditional Korean age system), but now I'm relieved that I still can drink. When I was teenager, I thought it would be good to be 20, but apparently it's not. So, I'm happy to be back to teenager again."

Online, many people supported the decision, admitting that it was a confusing system, though some seemed uncomfortable with their country conforming to an international norm.

Many wondered how grammar used in common settings like classrooms might change on a daily basis, as different words and titles are used in the Korean language to connote deference depending on the age or rank of the people speaking.

There are sure to be hiccups, as while much of South Korean society will adjust to the new system and stick to the "international age," it will not be universal. Laws governing minors, for instance, such as the legal age for alcohol and tobacco consumption, will still be determined by "counting age."

Local government officials visited bars and convenience stores Wednesday to stress that the legal age for alcohol and tobacco sales remained 19 – that is, anyone born at any point in 2004, or before. 

In:
• South Korea