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Cover Story
Phenomenon
TheOneandOnlySystemofCountingAge,theKoreanAgeCountingSystem
Unlike other countries, Korea has a unique way of counting a newborn
Bank
as being 1 year old from birth. This exclusive age counting system is
Images
known as “Korean age.” Koreans consider a year in the womb as counting
ⓒGetty
towards their age. From this perspective, an infant is one year old at birth.
Regardless of their actual birthdays, Koreans become a year older every
NewYear’sDay.CurrentlyinKorea,aninternationalagecountingsystemis
usedasalegalstandardofage.However,theKoreanagecountingsystemis
customarilyandfrequentlyusedineverydaylife.
▲TheuniqueagecalculationinSouth
According to the Korean age counting system, there is an age difference
Koreahadresultedinconfusion.
of one year between a person who was born on Dec. 31 and the other who
wasbornonJan.1ofthefollowingyear.ThisisbecauseintheKoreanage
Ilbo
countingsystem,peopleborninthesameyearareconsideredthesameage.
Chosun
Forexample,ababybornonDec.31wouldbeconsidered“1dayold”on
December
One
Two
January
Jan. 1 based on international standards. However, in Korean age, the baby
yearold
ⓒThe
yearsold
wouldbecometwoyearsold,sinceheorsheisoneyearoldatbirthandgets
oneyearaddedonNewYear’sDay.
The Korean age triggers unnecessary confusion over communication.
▲Koreanagesystemappliesevento
TomirisCaesar,astudentfromKazakhstanatHankukUniversityofForeign
aninfantbornon,say,Dec.31,who
wouldbeconsidered2yearsoldthe
StudiesDivisionofInternationalStudies,said,“Atfirst,whenpeopletalked
verynextday.
about age in Korea, I was confused since I did not know the concept of
ⓒYonhap
Koreanage.”
In the domain of administration, it is pointed out that unnecessary
expenses are consumed because of the Korean age system. For example,
when an identification card is issued, students of the same grade and the
same Korean age will receive a notice on a different date according to
their birthday. In addition, in administrative tasks such as handling civil
▲LeeYong-ho,thechiefofthe
president-elect’stransitioncommittee,
complaints at community centers, date of birth is directly asked to prevent
saidtheuniqueagecalculationshad
problems that may arise when tasks are handled based on Korean age.
resultedin“persistentconfusion”and
“unnecessarysocialandeconomic
For these reasons, the Korean age counting system has been criticized for
costs.”
requiringunnecessaryconfusionandadditionalsocialcosts.
NeverEndingStory,the“Born-early-in-the-year”
Itiseasytohearsomeonecomplainingthatheorshecannotdrinkalcohol
ⓒdaily
because one’s birthday is in January or February, among the college
freshmen group. This is due to the unique age counting system of Korea:
the“Born-early-in-the-year”(BETY,henceforth).Thetermreferstopeople
whowereborninJanuaryorFebruary,whoenteredtheschoolayearfaster
▲18-year-oldBETYsmayhavehard
timehangingoutwiththeirfriends
becauseitisillegalforthemtodrink.
20
www.theargus.org
Phenomenon
TheOneandOnlySystemofCountingAge,theKoreanAgeCountingSystem
Unlike other countries, Korea has a unique way of counting a newborn
Bank
as being 1 year old from birth. This exclusive age counting system is
Images
known as “Korean age.” Koreans consider a year in the womb as counting
ⓒGetty
towards their age. From this perspective, an infant is one year old at birth.
Regardless of their actual birthdays, Koreans become a year older every
NewYear’sDay.CurrentlyinKorea,aninternationalagecountingsystemis
usedasalegalstandardofage.However,theKoreanagecountingsystemis
customarilyandfrequentlyusedineverydaylife.
▲TheuniqueagecalculationinSouth
According to the Korean age counting system, there is an age difference
Koreahadresultedinconfusion.
of one year between a person who was born on Dec. 31 and the other who
wasbornonJan.1ofthefollowingyear.ThisisbecauseintheKoreanage
Ilbo
countingsystem,peopleborninthesameyearareconsideredthesameage.
Chosun
Forexample,ababybornonDec.31wouldbeconsidered“1dayold”on
December
One
Two
January
Jan. 1 based on international standards. However, in Korean age, the baby
yearold
ⓒThe
yearsold
wouldbecometwoyearsold,sinceheorsheisoneyearoldatbirthandgets
oneyearaddedonNewYear’sDay.
The Korean age triggers unnecessary confusion over communication.
▲Koreanagesystemappliesevento
TomirisCaesar,astudentfromKazakhstanatHankukUniversityofForeign
aninfantbornon,say,Dec.31,who
wouldbeconsidered2yearsoldthe
StudiesDivisionofInternationalStudies,said,“Atfirst,whenpeopletalked
verynextday.
about age in Korea, I was confused since I did not know the concept of
ⓒYonhap
Koreanage.”
In the domain of administration, it is pointed out that unnecessary
expenses are consumed because of the Korean age system. For example,
when an identification card is issued, students of the same grade and the
same Korean age will receive a notice on a different date according to
their birthday. In addition, in administrative tasks such as handling civil
▲LeeYong-ho,thechiefofthe
president-elect’stransitioncommittee,
complaints at community centers, date of birth is directly asked to prevent
saidtheuniqueagecalculationshad
problems that may arise when tasks are handled based on Korean age.
resultedin“persistentconfusion”and
“unnecessarysocialandeconomic
For these reasons, the Korean age counting system has been criticized for
costs.”
requiringunnecessaryconfusionandadditionalsocialcosts.
NeverEndingStory,the“Born-early-in-the-year”
Itiseasytohearsomeonecomplainingthatheorshecannotdrinkalcohol
ⓒdaily
because one’s birthday is in January or February, among the college
freshmen group. This is due to the unique age counting system of Korea:
the“Born-early-in-the-year”(BETY,henceforth).Thetermreferstopeople
whowereborninJanuaryorFebruary,whoenteredtheschoolayearfaster
▲18-year-oldBETYsmayhavehard
timehangingoutwiththeirfriends
becauseitisillegalforthemtodrink.
20
www.theargus.org
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