Anchor: South Koreans became a year or two younger on Wednesday as the country began using the international age system in nearly all legal and administrative areas, replacing the so-called "Korean age" counting system.
Our Bae Joo-yon has more on what will change and what will stay the same.

Report: Two 28-year-old friends, both born in Seoul in 1996, became 27 and 26 on Wednesday.

That's because the nation began implementing the international age system used in many Western countries, under which a person is zero years old at birth and becomes a year older with each subsequent birthday.

In line with revisions to the Civil Act and the General Act on Public Administration, the new system is replacing the so-called “Korean age” in which a person is already a year old the day they are born and gains a year on the first day of the new year.

Starting on Wednesday, therefore, the 28-year-old who already celebrated their birthday turned 27 while the friend whose birthday is yet to come became two years younger.

Many South Koreans believe the new system will lessen confusion and disputes as the nation was using more than one way to calculate age, with the usage of international age for providing welfare benefits but one example.

Exceptions will remain, however, in applying the new counting system.

Current age systems used for elementary school entrance, the legal age to purchase tobacco and alcohol, military conscription as well as the criteria for civil servant-exam applicants will continue to remain in place. 
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.