South Korea woke up to a unique phenomenon on Wednesday as a new law came into effect, resulting in people finding themselves a year or even two years younger overnight. The implementation of the law abolished South Korea's traditional age-counting system, aligning it with the international method. While a third age-counting system remains intact, this change is expected to reduce legal disputes, complaints, and societal confusion regarding age calculations. Under the traditional method, South Koreans were considered one year old at birth, with their age incrementing on January 1 rather than their actual birthdays. Despite the international age-counting system being used for legal and medical documents since the 1960s, the traditional system persisted in daily life. However, the law passed in December has finally brought an end to this practice. According to a government poll conducted in September of the previous year, 86% of South Koreans expressed their intention to switch to the international system.

Kim Chimmy, a 27-year-old office worker in Seoul, remarked, "I was about to turn 30 next year" in reference to the traditional system, adding, "Now I have some more time earned and I love it." The shift to the international age-counting system has been met with enthusiasm by many South Koreans. The reason behind South Korea's adoption of different age-counting systems stems from the significance of "year age" in the Korean language. Honorifics like "Deng Penni" (big sister) and "Sunny Chaw" (elder brother) are commonly used instead of names, making age an essential factor in communication. With the traditional system, individuals in the same school year were considered the same age, allowing for interactions without linguistic hierarchies. South Korea also maintains a third age-counting system, which determines school year, compulsory military service eligibility, and the legal age for purchasing alcohol. This system closely resembles the traditional method but starts at year zero. It remains unaffected by the recent law change and will continue to be in use.

President Yoon Suk Yeol strongly advocated for the age-counting system reform during his election campaign, citing the "unnecessary social and economic costs" associated with the traditional methods. The discrepancies between age calculations have led to conflicts regarding insurance payouts and eligibility for government assistance programs. With the implementation of the new law, South Koreans have embraced a standardized age-counting system that aligns with international norms. While certain statutes will continue to consider age based on the "counting age" calendar year system, the move marks a significant step towards simplifying age-related matters and fostering a more harmonized society.
Note: The information provided in this article is based on current reports and may be subject to further updates as the situation develops.