When asked their age by a foreigner, many South Koreans give both their “Korean age” and “international age”, followed by an explanation that invariably leaves the questioner confused. “The international age is used in courts, hospitals and public offices, while the Korean age is used in people’s daily lives. The South Korean age system can be particularly disconcerting for the parents of children born late in the year. “The Korean age system poses many disadvantages for babies that are born later in the year,” she said. “I’m not completely opposed to using the international age system, but I wonder if it’s necessary to impose it on people.”Kyungmi Choi in Seoul and Associated Press contributed to this report

Source: The Guardian June 02, 2019 12:00 UTC