South Koreans woke up Wednesday a year or two younger as the country replaced its own age-counting methods with the international standard.

Why it matters: The new standardization is expected to reduce social confusion, legal problems and other conflicts stemming from the mixing of age calculations, officials have said.

How we got here: The international standard for age counting begins at zero on the day a person is born and adds one year each birthday.

• Since the 1960s, the country has used the international standard for medical and legal documents, per Reuters.

But under the traditional method, people were one year old at the time of birth, with an additional year added every Jan. 1, according to the Korea Times.

• A baby born on Dec. 31 would be considered two years old just 24 hours later.

A third "calendar age" system combined the international and traditional method, counting age from zero at birth but adding a year every Jan. 1, per CNN.

State of play: The regulation, which was approved by South Korea's national assembly in December, fulfills a campaign promise by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to adopt the international standard, Lee said Monday.

• The international standard for age counting will now be used for the majority of administrative and civil matters, including contracts and official documents, per the Korea Times.

• However the mixed "calendar age" system will still be used for calculating the legal age for alcohol consumption, military conscription and school enrollment.

By the numbers: About 86% of respondents to a government poll last year said they would adopt the use of the international standard, per CNN.

https://www.axios.com/2023/06/28/south-korea-new-age-law

周三，隨着韓國用國際標準取代自己的年齡計算方法，韓國人一覺醒來，年輕了一兩歲。 為什麼重要：官員們表示，新的標準化預計將減少因年齡計算混合而引起的社會混亂、法律問題和其他衝突。 我們是如何得出這個結論的：年齡計算的國際標準從一個人出生之日的零開始，並在每個生日增加一歲。  據路透社報道，自 20 世紀 60 年代以來，該國一直在醫療和法律文件方面使用國際標準。 但據《韓國時報》報道，在傳統方法下，人們出生時是一歲，每年 1 月 1 日就會增加一歲。  12月31日出生的嬰兒僅僅24小時後就被視為兩歲了。 據 CNN 報道，第三種“日曆年齡”系統結合了國際和傳統方法，從出生時開始計算年齡，但每年 1 月 1 日增加一歲。 進展情況：李周一表示，該法規於 12 月獲得韓國國民議會批准，履行了韓國總統尹錫烈 (Yoon Suk-yeol) 採用國際標準的競選承諾。  據《韓國時報》報道，年齡計算的國際標準現在將用於大多數行政和民事事務，包括合同和官方文件。  不過，計算飲酒、徵兵和入學的法定年齡仍將採用混合“日曆年齡”制度。 從數字來看：據 CNN 報道，去年政府民意調查中約有 86% 的受訪者表示他們將採用國際標準。

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South Koreans woke up Wednesday a year or two younger as the country replaced its own age-counting methods with the international standard.

Why it matters: The new standardization is expected to reduce social confusion, legal problems and other conflicts stemming from the mixing of age calculations, officials have said.

How we got here: The international standard for age counting begins at zero on the day a person is born and adds one year each birthday.

• Since the 1960s, the country has used the international standard for medical and legal documents, per Reuters.

But under the traditional method, people were one year old at the time of birth, with an additional year added every Jan. 1, according to the Korea Times.

• A baby born on Dec. 31 would be considered two years old just 24 hours later.

A third "calendar age" system combined the international and traditional method, counting age from zero at birth but adding a year every Jan. 1, per CNN.

State of play: The regulation, which was approved by South Korea's national assembly in December, fulfills a campaign promise by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to adopt the international standard, Lee said Monday.

• The international standard for age counting will now be used for the majority of administrative and civil matters, including contracts and official documents, per the Korea Times.

• However the mixed "calendar age" system will still be used for calculating the legal age for alcohol consumption, military conscription and school enrollment.

By the numbers: About 86% of respondents to a government poll last year said they would adopt the use of the international standard, per CNN.

https://www.axios.com/2023/06/28/south-korea-new-age-law

周三，隨着韓國用國際標準取代自己的年齡計算方法，韓國人一覺醒來，年輕了一兩歲。 為什麼重要：官員們表示，新的標準化預計將減少因年齡計算混合而引起的社會混亂、法律問題和其他衝突。 我們是如何得出這個結論的：年齡計算的國際標準從一個人出生之日的零開始，並在每個生日增加一歲。  據路透社報道，自 20 世紀 60 年代以來，該國一直在醫療和法律文件方面使用國際標準。 但據《韓國時報》報道，在傳統方法下，人們出生時是一歲，每年 1 月 1 日就會增加一歲。  12月31日出生的嬰兒僅僅24小時後就被視為兩歲了。 據 CNN 報道，第三種“日曆年齡”系統結合了國際和傳統方法，從出生時開始計算年齡，但每年 1 月 1 日增加一歲。 進展情況：李周一表示，該法規於 12 月獲得韓國國民議會批准，履行了韓國總統尹錫烈 (Yoon Suk-yeol) 採用國際標準的競選承諾。  據《韓國時報》報道，年齡計算的國際標準現在將用於大多數行政和民事事務，包括合同和官方文件。  不過，計算飲酒、徵兵和入學的法定年齡仍將採用混合“日曆年齡”制度。 從數字來看：據 CNN 報道，去年政府民意調查中約有 86% 的受訪者表示他們將採用國際標準。

================================

South Koreans woke up Wednesday a year or two younger as the country replaced its own age-counting methods with the international standard.

Why it matters: The new standardization is expected to reduce social confusion, legal problems and other conflicts stemming from the mixing of age calculations, officials have said.

How we got here: The international standard for age counting begins at zero on the day a person is born and adds one year each birthday.

• Since the 1960s, the country has used the international standard for medical and legal documents, per Reuters.

But under the traditional method, people were one year old at the time of birth, with an additional year added every Jan. 1, according to the Korea Times.

• A baby born on Dec. 31 would be considered two years old just 24 hours later.

A third "calendar age" system combined the international and traditional method, counting age from zero at birth but adding a year every Jan. 1, per CNN.

State of play: The regulation, which was approved by South Korea's national assembly in December, fulfills a campaign promise by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to adopt the international standard, Lee said Monday.

• The international standard for age counting will now be used for the majority of administrative and civil matters, including contracts and official documents, per the Korea Times.

• However the mixed "calendar age" system will still be used for calculating the legal age for alcohol consumption, military conscription and school enrollment.

By the numbers: About 86% of respondents to a government poll last year said they would adopt the use of the international standard, per CNN.

https://www.axios.com/2023/06/28/south-korea-new-age-law

周三，隨着韓國用國際標準取代自己的年齡計算方法，韓國人一覺醒來，年輕了一兩歲。 為什麼重要：官員們表示，新的標準化預計將減少因年齡計算混合而引起的社會混亂、法律問題和其他衝突。 我們是如何得出這個結論的：年齡計算的國際標準從一個人出生之日的零開始，並在每個生日增加一歲。  據路透社報道，自 20 世紀 60 年代以來，該國一直在醫療和法律文件方面使用國際標準。 但據《韓國時報》報道，在傳統方法下，人們出生時是一歲，每年 1 月 1 日就會增加一歲。  12月31日出生的嬰兒僅僅24小時後就被視為兩歲了。 據 CNN 報道，第三種“日曆年齡”系統結合了國際和傳統方法，從出生時開始計算年齡，但每年 1 月 1 日增加一歲。 進展情況：李周一表示，該法規於 12 月獲得韓國國民議會批准，履行了韓國總統尹錫烈 (Yoon Suk-yeol) 採用國際標準的競選承諾。  據《韓國時報》報道，年齡計算的國際標準現在將用於大多數行政和民事事務，包括合同和官方文件。  不過，計算飲酒、徵兵和入學的法定年齡仍將採用混合“日曆年齡”制度。 從數字來看：據 CNN 報道，去年政府民意調查中約有 86% 的受訪者表示他們將採用國際標準。

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