The Facts
South Koreans have become a year or two younger as new laws that require using only the international method of calculating age took effect on Wednesday, replacing the country's traditional age-counting method.
Under the traditional age counting system, children are considered to be a year old at birth, with an additional year added to their age every Jan. 1.
The Spin
Narrative A
As a modern, technologically advanced nation, it's about time South Korea got rid of this relic of the past. Under the old system, a baby born on Dec. 31 would be two days old in an international system and two years old in South Korea the following day. It's about time that Seoul caught up, even if that means counting backward.
Narrative B
While the headlines may say that South Korea is adopting the international age-counting system, that's not entirely true. A third system called "year age" will still exist for eligibility for military service, school year, and drinking age. While South Korea may be abandoning one age-counting system, it has still not entirely adopted the international norm yet.
