South Koreans will all become one or two years YOUNGER tomorrow after new rule change

South Koreans are all due to become one or two years younger tomorrow after a new rule change. 

The Ministry of Government Legislation announced yesterday that the revisions to the Basic Administrative Act and Civil Act, which were passed in December, will come into effect tomorrow.  

Korea has its own system of counting someone’s age. A person is already deemed to be one year old at birth and a year is added on January 1 each year. 

But as of tomorrow the country will adopt the standardised internationally-recognised system used by other countries, where a person only becomes a year old at their first birthday. 

Under the current system, a baby born on New Year’s Eve is already classed as two years old when the clock strikes midnight – but they are still zero under the international system. 

The rule change means that every Korean will be one or two years younger, depending on when their birthday is.  

The new system will be used in laws, contracts and official papers – but the old system will still be used for Korea’s mandatory military conscription, starting school and buying alcohol or tobacco. 

In recent years Korea’s system has come under criticism for being vague and causing confusion as it does not take into account when in the year someone is born. 

In some cases, it has even led to legal disputes, such as over the start and end of the ‘peak wage’, which sees an employees’ salary reduce as they get nearer to retirement. 

President Yoon Suk Yeol has previously criticised the system as being a drain on resources.

It has also impacted Korea’s reputation as an advanced global economy, as many view the old age system as being behind the times. 

Most Koreans are simply accustomed to living with two ages.  

Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu said during a media briefing: ‘The revisions are meaningful in that the use of the international age system now becomes a clear rule.

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol (pictured on June 23) has previously criticised the system as being a drain on resources

Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu said during a media briefing that the change would reduce ‘social and administrative confusion’

‘This was one of the major campaign promises pursued by President Yoon Suk Yeol to reduce social and administrative confusion.’

He continued: ‘Uniformly using the international age system will reduce unnecessary social disputes resulting from the mixed use of age systems.

‘The ministry will closely cooperate with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as well as local governments, to enhance education and promotional activities in order to establish a culture of using the international age system in people’s daily lives at the earliest possible date.’ 

He added that any exceptions to the rule will remain in place because it is ‘easier to manage’.