Koreans get a year younger as traditional age methods scrapped

Social Affairs

Published: 26 Jun. 2023, 18:29

Koreans get a year younger as traditional age methods scrapped

Government Legislation Minister Lee Wan-kyu announces the adoption of the international method of counting age starting Wednesday in a press briefing held at the government complex in central Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Starting Wednesday, all Koreans will become at least a year younger as the country largely scraps its traditional system of counting age.

“Adopting the international method of counting age has been one of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s pledges to relieve the social and administrational confusion and conflict,” said Government Legislation Minister Lee Wan-kyu, in a press briefing held at the government complex in central Seoul on Monday.

The National Assembly passed legal revisions to unify Korea's disparate age systems last December. Those revisions go into effect from Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Government Legislation, age will be counted based on the international system in most legal and social circumstances, such as in contracts and official documents, unless a specific way of counting age is mentioned in them.

Currently, Korea uses three age calculations: the so-called "Korean age," in which people are considered one year old at birth; the international system; and a system in which an individual grows one year older on the first day of the new year.

Under the Korean age counting system, someone who was born in December 2000 is 24 this year and 23 based on the system where they become a year older every year.

However, this individual will turn 22 starting Wednesday as their birthday has not passed yet.

“Unifying the age system reduces social costs unnecessarily caused by confusion in the age-counting system,” Lee told the reporters, referring to cases that led to legal disputes due to different ways of counting ages.

The peak-wage system is one example. Disputes have emerged over whether the system — which gradually reduces salaries for senior workers — should kick in at age 56 according to the Korean system or 55 according to the international system.

In March 2022, the Supreme Court ruled the system should be applied from the age of 55 according to the international system.

However, the change will not apply in several cases.

First-grade students entering elementary schools is one case.

Regardless of their birthdays, children would have to start school in March of the following year when they turn six internationally.

As such, all students born in 2016 will be eligible to study at elementary schools this year regardless of whether their birthdays have passed or not.

Regarding the confusion between students themselves, with students of different ages in the same grade, the ministry said though it may feel a little awkward at first, it will eventually become natural, referring to university students of different ages in the same class.

The ministry stressed it will work with other related authorities, including the Ministry of Education and education offices, to reduce further confusion among students.

The legal age to drink and smoke, the eligible age to test for public servant examinations, and the age for Korean men to enlist in the military are other exceptions unaffected by the change. The system of counting age based on the new year will continue to apply in such cases.

Therefore, those born in 2004, regardless of their birth months, are eligible to drink, smoke or undergo a conscription examination this year. Those born in the year 2005 are qualified to test for public official examinations for grade 8 or lower.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]