Is Korean Age Disappearing?
In Korea, babies are one year old at birth because the system includes the time they spend growing inside their mother.
But in International Age, babies are born at age zero and turn one year old on their first birthday.
In addition, Koreans become one year older on New Year’s Day, not on their actual birthday.
This means that there can be two-year differences in Korean and International Ages.
Let’s suppose Hong gil-dong is born on December 31, 2022.
He is already one year old.
On January 1, 2023 ? the next day ? he will become two years old.
However, his international age will be zero until he reaches his first birthday on December 31, 2023.
Soon, everyone in Korea may become at least one year younger.
That is because Korea’s leaders want to stop using the country’s “Korean Age” system, which they say is confusing in that it differs from international age systems.
In the end, Korean national assembly passed revisions which would unify the country’s multiple age systems to the internationally recognized system.
Which do you prefer, Korean Age or International Age?