South Korea officially began applying the international age system on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.

Thus, South Koreans became either a year or two younger overnight depending on their birth date: if they already had their birthday, then they became one year younger, but if they didn’t, they became two years younger. 

However, age standards for particular instances have remain unchanged. 

Due to Article 2 of the Juvenile Protection Act, the age restriction policy for buying alcohol and tobacco remains the same; individuals can purchase alcohol and tobacco starting from the year they turn 19 in international age.

Age for mandatory enlistment remains the same as well, based on the subsection (2) of Article 2 of the Military Service Law.

Lastly, according to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the minimum age requirement for entering elementary school remains unchanged; children should enter elementary school on March 1st of the year after they turn 6 in international age. 

Prior to the adoption of this system, South Korea used three different age calculation systems simultaneously: the traditional age counting method, called ‘Korean age,’ the international age system, and a calendar age. 

Among the three systems, the Korean Age was the most prevalent system used among people; international age was used for official affairs, particularly for official documents, civilian retirement policy, and suffrage; calendar age was applied for several acts or laws such as military service law and juvenile protection act. 

Unlike an international age, the Korean age is calculated from one at birth and adds up a year every new year, January 1.

Moreover, a calendar age is the subtraction of the current year from the birth year. 

Thus, when babies are born, they are a year old in Korean age calculations and zero in international and calendar age, and when the new year comes, they are two years old in Korean age, a year old in calendar age, and either zero or a year old in an international age depending on their birthday.

Having an international age as a standardized age system was one of President Yoon’s election pledges. 

To reduce confusions and disputes from using three systems, President Yoon proposed the unification of the international age policy last April. 

According to a survey conducted by government agency e-People in September 2022, among 6,394 participants, 81.6% showed positive reactions for unifying age systems as international age. 

The participants who agreed mentioned reducing confusions and disputes, expecting to eliminate sequence culture due to the Korean age, following international standards, and having a younger age as reasons for their choice. 

After a Parliamentary plenary session, the policy was passed on December 8, 2022. 

The Minister of Justice, DongHoon Han, said they would “make a full effort to follow-up measures to double the positive effects of the implementation of the bill.”

In addition, the Legislation Minister WanKyu Lee added that “getting one or two years younger can have socially positive effects and collaborating with other relevant departments, [he] will operate public campaigns to settle the culture to use an international age rapidly.”

SoYoung Choi
Grade 11
St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju