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，随着韩国用国际标准取代自己的年龄计算方法，韩国人一觉醒来，年轻了一两岁。 为什么重要：官员们表示，新的标准化预计将减少因年龄计算混合而引起的社会混乱、法律问题和其他冲突。 我们是如何得出这个结论的：年龄计算的国际标准从一个人出生之日的零开始，并在每个生日增加一岁。  据路透社报道，自 20 世纪 60 年代以来，该国一直在医疗和法律文件方面使用国际标准。 但据《韩国时报》报道，在传统方法下，人们出生时是一岁，每年 1 月 1 日就会增加一岁。  12月31日出生的婴儿仅仅24小时后就被视为两岁了。 据 CNN 报道，第三种“日历年龄”系统结合了国际和传统方法，从出生时开始计算年龄，但每年 1 月 1 日增加一岁。 进展情况：李周一表示，该法规于 12 月获得韩国国民议会批准，履行了韩国总统尹锡烈 (Yoon Suk-yeol) 采用国际标准的竞选承诺。  据《韩国时报》报道，年龄计算的国际标准现在将用于大多数行政和民事事务，包括合同和官方文件。  不过，计算饮酒、征兵和入学的法定年龄仍将采用混合“日历年龄”制度。 从数字来看：据 CNN 报道，去年政府民意调查中约有 86% 的受访者表示他们将采用国际标准。

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

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，随着韩国用国际标准取代自己的年龄计算方法，韩国人一觉醒来，年轻了一两岁。 为什么重要：官员们表示，新的标准化预计将减少因年龄计算混合而引起的社会混乱、法律问题和其他冲突。 我们是如何得出这个结论的：年龄计算的国际标准从一个人出生之日的零开始，并在每个生日增加一岁。  据路透社报道，自 20 世纪 60 年代以来，该国一直在医疗和法律文件方面使用国际标准。 但据《韩国时报》报道，在传统方法下，人们出生时是一岁，每年 1 月 1 日就会增加一岁。  12月31日出生的婴儿仅仅24小时后就被视为两岁了。 据 CNN 报道，第三种“日历年龄”系统结合了国际和传统方法，从出生时开始计算年龄，但每年 1 月 1 日增加一岁。 进展情况：李周一表示，该法规于 12 月获得韩国国民议会批准，履行了韩国总统尹锡烈 (Yoon Suk-yeol) 采用国际标准的竞选承诺。  据《韩国时报》报道，年龄计算的国际标准现在将用于大多数行政和民事事务，包括合同和官方文件。  不过，计算饮酒、征兵和入学的法定年龄仍将采用混合“日历年龄”制度。 从数字来看：据 CNN 报道，去年政府民意调查中约有 86% 的受访者表示他们将采用国际标准。

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

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，随着韩国用国际标准取代自己的年龄计算方法，韩国人一觉醒来，年轻了一两岁。 为什么重要：官员们表示，新的标准化预计将减少因年龄计算混合而引起的社会混乱、法律问题和其他冲突。 我们是如何得出这个结论的：年龄计算的国际标准从一个人出生之日的零开始，并在每个生日增加一岁。  据路透社报道，自 20 世纪 60 年代以来，该国一直在医疗和法律文件方面使用国际标准。 但据《韩国时报》报道，在传统方法下，人们出生时是一岁，每年 1 月 1 日就会增加一岁。  12月31日出生的婴儿仅仅24小时后就被视为两岁了。 据 CNN 报道，第三种“日历年龄”系统结合了国际和传统方法，从出生时开始计算年龄，但每年 1 月 1 日增加一岁。 进展情况：李周一表示，该法规于 12 月获得韩国国民议会批准，履行了韩国总统尹锡烈 (Yoon Suk-yeol) 采用国际标准的竞选承诺。  据《韩国时报》报道，年龄计算的国际标准现在将用于大多数行政和民事事务，包括合同和官方文件。  不过，计算饮酒、征兵和入学的法定年龄仍将采用混合“日历年龄”制度。 从数字来看：据 CNN 报道，去年政府民意调查中约有 86% 的受访者表示他们将采用国际标准。

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