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South Korea Recently Abolished Its Unique Age-Counting System
Until 2023, South Korea used a system where you were 1 at birth and everyone aged up together on New Year's Day. A person born on December 31 would be considered 2 years old the very next day. The government unified the system to international standards in June 2023.
Why It’s Fascinating
It was one of the last countries to use this traditional East Asian age reckoning. The change affected legal drinking ages, military service timing, and even insurance premiums overnight, showing how deeply a simple counting convention can affect a society.
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