Why William and others just got a year or two younger

A change to the law in South Korea means how people's age is calculated will now be standardised. Here, Korean Australians explain how they’ve navigated the different systems.

William Seung moved to Australia from Korea in the 1970s. Source: Supplied / William Seung

“How old are you?”

That wasn’t always as simple a question for Sylvia Cho to answer growing up in Australia.

“We would always say, ‘Korean age, or normal international age?’” the second-generation South Korean said.

Born in Sydney in March 1992, Ms Cho’s 'international age' — or the number of calendar years since her birth date — is 31, but her 'Korean age' is 32.

Sylvia Cho's 'international age' is 31, but her 'Korean age' is 32. Source: Supplied / Sylvia Cho

“For us, we’ve always been told this since we were young,” Ms Cho said.

“You don’t realise how different it is for those who don’t know the culture until you’re older, until you meet new people out of your community.”

Ms Cho said age is a “precious thing” in Korea, and a marker of respect.

But traditional methods of calculating age have caused confusion, prompting South Korea's parliament to change laws and adopt the system used around the world this month.

How age is calculated in South Korea

Traditionally, Koreans were considered to be one year old when they were born, and then their age increased by one year on 1 January regardless of their actual birth date. This is referred to as their 'Korean age' and is most commonly cited in everyday life.

Professor Kyung Moon Hwang, a historian of Korea at the Australian National University in Canberra, said the months a baby is growing in the womb is counted towards a person’s age.

“The traditional way of counting makes sense when you’re looking at it as the first year of life,” he said.

“That’s the way Koreans count a lot of things in history as well. But of course, internationally, it creates a lot of problems when you’re dealing with the modern world.”

Traditionally, you’re aged one when you’re born in South Korea, and then another year is added on 1 January. Source: SBS News

Another separate Korean system, known as 'counting' or 'calendar' age, calculates a person’s age as zero at birth but adds one year on 1 January. That was used for some laws such as calculating military conscription or the legal age to be able to drink alcohol and smoke.

“It just added to the confusion,” Professor Hwang said.

The varying systems caused issues, most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic when eligibility for vaccines wasn't clear.

Australia is home to more than 100,000 people of Korean ancestry and more than 115,000 Korean speakers, according to the latest Census.

Ms Cho said she changes the answer about her age depending on who she’s speaking to.

“When I’m in Australia with my elders, I would still say my international age is 31. But when I’m in Korea with my elders, I would say I’m 32,” she said.

“My mum and dad, who have lived here long enough, don’t adopt [the Korean age] … It is my grandmother who would add the plus one.”

“Your mindset shifts when you emigrate to Australia, and you’re trying to adapt yourself to the culture as well.”

Australia is home to 102,092 people of Korean ancestry and 115,531 Korean speakers, according to the last Census. Source: SBS News

Julianne Lee agrees. She came to Australia with her family almost four decades ago.

Born in 1969, she turned 54 last month and usually uses the international age, unless she’s in Korea - when she’d tell people she’s 55.

“If I go to Korea, definitely that will be different,” she said. “Because how you speak and how you respect your elders is so important in Korea, when you say 55 or 54, each individual will treat you differently.”

Julianne Lee usually uses her international age unless she’s in Korea. Source: Supplied / Julianne Lee

William Seung still uses his Korean age in Australia. Born in 1947 in North Korea, he moved to South Korea with his family as a baby. They moved to Australia in 1979.

Mr Seung’s Korean age is 76. His international age is 75. Most of the time, he will use his Korean age when talking to others in the Korean-Australian community.

He said respect for elders is important for his community, and using the traditional Korean age can be a marker of being “higher” or “lower”.

William Seung is in his 70s. Source: Supplied / William Seung

“In the mainstream society, I use the international age, of course,” he said.

It can also depend on who he is talking to.

“Likely with the younger group, I use the younger age,” he said.

“I think younger people want to be younger, not older.”

Changing mindsets

In December, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea passed bills to amend two acts that aim to unify age-counting systems.

The change means that all official documents will be required to list a person’s age using the internationally-recognised method. It will come into effect from 28 June 2023.

South Korea has used the international system for medical and legal documents since the early 1960s.

North Korea already uses the international method.

"The revision is aimed at reducing unnecessary socioeconomic costs because legal and social disputes, as well as confusion, persist due to the different ways of calculating age," Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party told parliament last year.

A poll conducted by the Ministry of Government Legislation found more than 80 per cent of South Koreans surveyed supported using just one age-counting system.

Ms Cho said the change could face some resistance in South Korea among older people.

“I think naturally, that generation resists change, whether it is good, bad or different.

“Nothing is changing; no one is going to make you a year older or a year younger. It’s just a mindset change. But do they perceive that as something that is not stable, or the start of an era where the younger generation is taking over?”

“What would be interesting is to see friends who have come from Korea and decide to stay here in their mid-20s or early 30s. How are they going to shift their mindset?” she said.

“If I’m 76 or 75, it doesn’t matter,” Mr Seung said.

“I’m still who I am.”