Imagine waking up one morning and suddenly becoming a year or two younger—not because of magic, but because of the law. That's exactly what happened in South Korea in June 2023, when the country officially scrapped its quirky, centuries-old way of counting age.
Traditionally, Koreans were considered one year old at birth, and then everyone collectively aged one more year every January 1st. That meant a baby born on December 31st becomes two years old the very next day! On top of that, people also juggled a "calendar age” and the international system, creating three competing ways of telling how old you were.
This often led to confusion and some funny situations. Imagine trying to explain your age at the doctor's office, or figuring out if you were old enough for a driver's license or a night out with friends—it all depended on which system you were using!
So, when the government announced that it would adopt the international age system once and for all, most people welcomed it. Overnight, millions of Koreans officially became one or two years younger. Headlines even joked about the country enjoying a collective fountain of youth.
Of course, some traditions linger. Military service, school grades, and even drinking age still bend the rules here and there. But for daily life—introducing yourself, filling out forms, or celebrating birthdays—the change brought a new clarity, and maybe just a little extra joy in being younger again.