VOA新闻杂志2023--South Koreans Become Younger after Country Changes Counting Method

South Koreans Become Younger after Country Changes Counting Method

Many South Koreans are now one or two years younger after the nation changed the way it counted ages on Wednesday. A new law will bring South Korea in line with how most countries around the world count a person's age.

In the past, South Korea used a traditional age-counting method that considered a baby one year of age at birth. People then turned a year older every January 1. That means that a child born in December would turn 2 shortly after birth.

One young girl told a local television station: "I turned 6 and then I became 5 again."

Some South Koreans became two years younger. Oh Seung-youl went from 63 to 61. "It's always good to be younger," he said with a laugh.

One person, however, reminded people that the new age-counting plan does not change a person's true age.

Choi Eun-young is now 49. She used to be 50.

"The law doesn't make you biologically younger and there are no real benefits other than feeling good about being called a year younger than before," she said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol said updating all South Korean's ages to the international norm¹ was an important goal for his government. He said he wanted to reduce "social and administrative² confusion³."

But government officials said the new law does not change how South Koreans receive public services and benefits. They were always based on the international standard. So were rules about when a child starts school, when a young person is permitted to drive a car, and when an adult can get a pension⁴.

Kim Si-eun said she already misses the old method of age-counting. She is 21 years old. She said the old way seemed easier.

"With everybody now going with international age, the changed ages feel awkward⁵," Kim said.

Some observers⁶ say the change will be helpful in situations such as giving medicine to children. Instructions on a box of medicine could say the amount for a 12-year-old is different from an 11-year-old. However, if the package was made outside of South Korea, it could be hard for South Korean parents to know how much medicine to give their child.

One office worker noted⁷ that South Koreans respect older people. So if someone is now a bit younger, they may no longer be considered as important in an office or an organization.

"You are losing as much as two years!" said 56-year-old office worker Choi Duck-sang. "Still, I think this is a change that should have been made much earlier. It's a good thing -– the entire nation got younger together," he said.

Words in This Story

benefit –n. a good thing

update –v. to change something so it is done in a new way

standard –n. a common and accepted way of doing things

confusion –n. the feeling of not understanding something

pension –n. money received by older, retired⁸ people after working in a job for a long time; paid either by the company they worked for or the government

awkward –adj. a feeling of being uncomfortable

1 norm   

n.标准，规范，平均数

参考例句：

• Of his age,the child is above the norm in arithmetic.在他那个年龄，这个孩子的算术能力是超过标准的。
• These events were aberrations from the norm.这些事件不合常规。

2 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

3 confusion   

n.困惑，迷乱，混淆，混乱，骚乱

参考例句：

• His answers to my questions have only added to my confusion.他对我的问题的回答只是使我更加困惑不解。
• His unexpected arrival threw us into total confusion.他的突然来访使我们完全不知所措。

4 pension   

n.退休金，年金，抚恤金；v.发给退休金

参考例句：

• The country provided a pension to the old person.国家给老人们提供养老金。
• She went to the company to draw her pension.她去公司领退休金。

5 awkward   

adj.笨拙的，尴尬的，使用不便的，难处理的

参考例句：

• John is so shy and awkward that everyone notices him.约翰如此害羞狼狈，以至于大家都注意到了他。
• I was the only man among the guests and felt rather awkward.作为客人中的唯一男性，我有些窘迫。

6 observers   

n.观察者( observer的名词复数 )；遵守者；观测者；目击者

参考例句：

• According to observers, the plane exploded shortly after take-off. 据目击者说，飞机起飞后不久就爆炸了。
• Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。