Suddenly South Koreans have become a year or two younger, here is the reason

Seoul: Authorities in South Korea have replaced its traditional system of counting somebody’s age with internationally accepted method, thus getting everybody younger by a year or two.

According to the old fashioned system, everybody is considered to be a year old at birth and then a year is added every 1 January, The Guardian reported.

Thus a baby born on the eve of New Year will become two years old by midnight.

The international method introduced on Wednesday will allow Koreans to calculate their ages in the same way the rest of the world does.

As with the change, ages will be calculated in most administrative and civil matters and official documents, The Guardian reported citing the Korea Times.

The new method according the country’s national assembly will ‘resolve the social confusion caused by the mixed use of age calculations and the resulting side effects’.

The outmoded system attracted criticism from politicians who argued that it is not appropriate for South Korea, which is a global technological and cultural power.

The president, Yoon Suk Yeol, called ‘the existing arrangements a drain’ on the country’s resources.

More than 70 percent polled last year told a survey that they were in favour of the change.

However, some people may continue to use old method in ‘ informal settings’.

As the new law takes effect, 86 percent said they will use the new method.

The change will not affect people’s right to legally buying cigarettes or alcohol.

More important, it will not change the candidates’ year of entering compulsory education or eligible age for national service.

Though the origins of the traditional system are not known, it is believed to be coming from an ancient Asian numerical system that did not have the concept of zero.