Does age matter? South Koreans have become years younger overnight after an old Korean law was scrapped. Some say there is cause for celebration, whilst others think it might be time for even more changes.
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South Koreans officially one year younger
Does age matter? South Koreans have become years younger overnight after an old Korean law was scrapped. Some say there is cause for celebration, whilst others think it might be time for even more changes.
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What's happening?
South Korea has introduced new laws that get rid of its traditional system of deciding age. As a result, people have dropped either one or two years in age. Some people are celebrating their recovered youth, but others say it highlights that age does not matter.
Many people in history would be jealous of them. Humans have been trying to find the secret to eternal youth since history began. And on Wednesday, people in South Korea woke up a year or two younger than they were the day before.
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The reason is a change in the law. The traditional system of calculating age in South Korea says that children turn one year old when they are born. Then they gain an extra year on 1 January. This means that a baby born on 31 December would be two years old the next day.
Many of us are very scared of ageing. But some say that this example highlights that it really does not mean a thing. It really is just a number.
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Does age matter?
Yes! There are some things we can or cannot do because of our age, and it shows our maturity.
No! There are children who are genius prodigies and adults who are very immature, so it does not really matter.
South Koreans officially one year younger
What a relief! 86% of South Koreans said they would start using the international system in their everyday lives.