South Koreans got a year or two younger as the new law brought two of the nation's traditional age calculation methods into line with international standards.
The law abolishes the traditional system by which South Koreans were considered to be one year old at birth, counting the time spent in the womb.
Another system added a year to the age every January 1st, instead of the actual birthdays of their citizens.
The switch to calculating age based on date of birth took effect on Wednesday.
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South Korean President Jun Suk-jeol pushed hard for change when he ran for office last year.
Traditional methods of counting age have created "unnecessary social and economic costs," he said.
Thus, for example, disputes arose regarding insurance payments and determining eligibility for state assistance programs.
Previously, the most widespread method of calculation in Korea was the centuries-old system of the "Korean age", in which a person turns one year old at birth, and gets a year on January 1.
This means that a baby born on December 31 is two years old the following day.
A special "age calculation" system, also traditionally used in the country, considers a person to be zero at birth and adds a year on January 1.
This means that, for example, a person born on June 29, 2003, on June 28, 2023 is 19 years old according to the international system, 20 years old according to the "age calculation" system, and 21 years old according to the "Korean years" system.
Last December, MPs voted to abolish traditional methods of determining age.
Despite this move, many existing statutes that determine a person's age based on a calendar system of "age calculation" will remain.
For example, residents of South Korea can buy cigarettes and alcohol, not from the day they turn 19, but from the year they turn XNUMX.
Three out of four South Koreans were also in favor of standardization, according to a survey by the local company Hankuk Research from January 2022
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Junsuk Woo hopes this change will help develop Korea's hierarchical culture.
"There are subconscious layers of ageism in people's behavior. This is evident even in a complex language system based on age.
"I hope that by abolishing the 'Korean years' system and adapting to the international standard, we will get rid of the relics of the past," said the 28-year-old.
Another citizen, Hyun Zheng Byun, said, “I like it, because now I'm two years younger. My birthday is in December, so I've always felt that this Korean age system makes me socially older than I really am."
"Now that Korea follows the world standard, I no longer have to explain my 'Korean years' when I go abroad."
The 31-year-old doctor said South Korea's medical sector has already adopted the international age system.
Traditional methods of calculating age were also used by other East Asian countries, but most have abandoned them.
Japan adopted the international standard in the 1950s, while North Korea adopted it in the 1980s.
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