Under a groundbreaking legislative measure, South Koreans have become a year or two younger overnight. This innovative shift is not the result of a sudden scientific breakthrough in anti-aging, but a fresh legal alignment of South Korea’s age-counting methods with international norms. This remarkable transition has effectively removed the disparities between the traditional age-counting systems in the country and the widely accepted global standard.
Previously, South Koreans were considered a year old at birth under one traditional system, counting the time in the womb. Moreover, this system would add a year to everyone’s age on the first day of January each year, irrespective of the individual’s birth date. For instance, a child born on December 31st would technically be two years old the next day, leading to significant confusion.
This remarkable age-counting shift, primarily advocated by President Yoon Suk Yeol during his electoral campaign, took effect on Wednesday. Yoon was steadfast in his advocacy for the change, citing the “unnecessary social and economic costs” created by the age-old methods of age calculation. These traditional systems have provoked controversies in determining eligibility for insurance pay-outs and government assistance programs, thus, incurring unnecessary burdens on the country’s socio-economic landscape.
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The most prevalently used age-calculating method in the past was the centuries-old “Korean age” system. Under this system, an individual was considered one year old at birth and would age an additional year on every first day of January. Another age-counting system, also traditionally employed in the country, considered a person zero at birth, adding a year every New Year’s Day. However, these methods diverged from international norms, causing inevitable confusion and contention.
Lawmakers elected to discard the traditional counting methods last December, paving the way for this groundbreaking transition. Despite the sweeping shift, many existing statutes based on the “counting age” calendar year system will still persist. A quintessential example of this is the legal age for purchasing cigarettes and alcohol in South Korea, which is based on the year rather than the exact day a person turns 19.
Public opinion on this radical transition has been overwhelmingly positive. A survey by Hankook Research in January 2022 found three-quarters of South Koreans in favor of the standardization. Individuals like Jeongsuk Woo, a 28-year-old content creator, are hopeful that this transition will challenge and eventually dismantle Korea’s hierarchical culture.
Finally, it’s worth noting that South Korea’s medical sector has already been implementing the international age system. Moreover, other East Asian countries had previously abandoned traditional age-counting systems, with Japan adopting the international standard in 1950 and North Korea in the 1980s.
In conclusion, the future of South Korea’s societal and economic fabric will be deeply impacted by this alignment with international standards. This law sets a benchmark for social change by challenging age-old traditions and norms, thus reflecting South Korea’s readiness for a future rooted in global unity and understanding.
(News Source: marketing-interactive website)
