Attention, attention! Big news from South Korea! Brace yourselves, folks, because starting tomorrow, all South Koreans are going to magically become at least a whole year younger! Can you believe it? It’s like a real-life time machine!

South Korea Embraces Change in Age Counting

• You see, South Korea has this funny tradition of counting newborns as one year old. But guess what? They’ve decided to join the rest of the world and follow the international standard for age counting. Why? Well, they want to avoid confusion and be like everyone else. No more feeling older than folks from other countries!
• The National Assembly, which is like a group of super important decision-makers, announced this change last year. And guess what? It’s going to affect the whole country! That means everywhere you go, whether it’s the courts or government offices, they’ll start using the same age system as the rest of the world. It’s like South Korea is getting a fancy upgrade!
• Right now, South Koreans are often called one or two years older than people from other countries. Wanna know why? It’s because they include the time babies spend in their mommies’ tummies when they count their age. How funny is that? South Korea is the only major country that does it!
• But here’s the best part: You don’t need to worry about changing any of your documents or IDs. Phew! The government already uses the international age system for important stuff like retirement, pensions, and voting. Oh, and don’t worry, the military and schools will start using the calendar age too. They’ll make sure to count the years since you were born, just like everyone else.
• Now, here’s a little secret. Becoming younger doesn’t mean you can suddenly do grown-up stuff like buying alcohol or cigarettes. Nope, no shortcuts there! Stores will still check your birth year to make sure you’re over 19. So sorry, kids, you’ll have to wait a little longer for those privileges!
• But get this: A huge majority of South Koreans actually wanted this change. Can you believe it? Three-quarters of them said, “Hey, let’s count our age like the rest of the world!” And guess what? The government listened to them and made it happen. People power for the win!
• So, my fellow South Koreans, get ready to party and celebrate your new, younger ages! It’s like you’re Benjamin Button, but in real life. Time to say goodbye to confusion and hello to the global norm. Get ready for a whole new age adventure, and let the countdown to being a year younger begin! Woohoo!