How South Koreans are aging backward | About That

South Korea has moved away from its traditional age-counting system, meaning people are now one to two years younger. Andrew Chang explains why this happened, and how it works.
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[@qone2363]

Hi Andrew! Is there a way where you can make a playlist "About That"? Because you are doing a phenomenal job!

[@jjca_travel]

Haha, I have never imagined seeing this topic on CBC News. LOL. When I came to Canada, I felt so good to be 2 yrs younger (a universally legitimate age). But then one side effect... I started disliking my birthday which is officially a one-year-aging date. Ironically, I kind of miss the ridiculous Korean age-counting system because we (me and my friends who were born in the same year) all got aged together on January 1st and used to share the bitter-sweet of aging.. LOL Thank you for the interesting topic!

[@mohammedosman88]

HAHA so in Korea, saying "Happy New Year" is literally "Happy Birthday" for the entire population :D

[@DevilSurvivor69]

When I lived in Korea, I always thought this was one of the more intriguing quirks of Korean culture and it's kinda sad to see it go because I always like figuring out how old someone was because sometimes people would use the Korean age or because you've a foreign they use the international age. I understand how maybe the younger Korean see it as a hindrance more than anything else.

[@Seung-GeeTV]

설명 아주 잘해줘서 감사합니다. 이제 한국식 나이가 역사적속으로 사라지네요...

[@dannybans23]

Nicely explained Andrew!

[@cz2301]

Koreans: confusing age system Chinese: hold my moon

[@user-dl8ox4lt3k]

Wow he is such a great teacher😊😊😊😊

[@행복한양]

명료한 설명 감사합니다! :) (사실 저희도 많이 헷갈려서 여전히 한국 나이로 부르고 있긴 해요... ㅎㅎ)

[@boreki8073]

만나이가 익숙하지가 않아서 힘들어요

[@canadaclub8920]

I feel for all the people who were legal adults and are back to being minors again

[@Royan1900]

And to make matters worse, what about that girl you were dating when she was 18....but actually now 16/17 (underage) ! Oh god!🙈 😢

[@mapofthesoultagme7143]

I want to be a kid age but I am 23

[@shutupanddrink3960]

​@@Royan1900 age of consent in their country is 20 but now it will change since they are now adopting the int age system

[@Royan1900]

I never knew this and I'm currently in a state of mind fudge 😮

[@historyan7458]

Thank you for a fun and nice explanation!

[@MewWolf5]

This was really well-explained!

[@Minnewanka_Trout]

I'm suddenly two years younger. Nothing's different, which is great tho. and I won't have to explain my age to my foreign friends anymore.

[@andrewmanford]

wow. you're a great teacher, Andrew. I had no idea. Interesting!!!

[@lukelausk]

They should do the change on Dec31 so everyone just becomes 1 year less... all done at once without figuring who is 1 or 2 yrs younger

[@zombiesithblade1579]

That's going to be awkward for people that are getting their license or getting pushed out of drinking age.😅

[@Room142]

Actually drinking age won't change despite the new system. Used to be Jan 1 of year you turn 20, now Jan 1 of year you turn 19. Birthdates still not important for that

[@Narodov1]

Love this Canadian content

[@AO-wb3ru]

That is Chinese lunar calendar!!!

[@JustAnonymous-vz4vn]

The crazy thing is that both systems are kind of wrong (Being born 1 or zero). I guess a newborn baby could be possibly considered 9 months old, then turn 1 three months after it's born.

[@lizliz4186]

Except a woman is pregnant for 40 weeks (to reach full term) which isn't 9 months. Also your thinking needs to be adjusted if a baby is born early or late.

[@JustAnonymous-vz4vn]

@@lizliz4186 Well obviously there's a variety of timelines. If they wanted to be specific they would consider the date of conception the starting point until birth, then however many months remain until the child is one year since conception.

[@MewWolf5]

​@@JustAnonymous-vz4vnBut it's kind of impossible to pinpoint that exact moment

[@darylbenson9682]

Does it alter whatever old age security benefits the country has?

[@soton5teve]

Does North Korea have the korean age thing?

[@Room142]

No

[@fengyantang4116]

This is the same as in China.

[@bobchannell3553]

If you were planning on retiring this year, do you now have to wait because you are too young to collect a pension?

[@mangotwiss]

korean: why are you cutting off my benefits. Gov: you are not age eligible 😕

[@mangotwiss]

what a mess

[@Blackmark52]

I remember the argument that the millennium changes on the 00 because the Gregorian Calendar has to have a year zero because they had a year zero. If only those making the argument were Korean, they could have had an argument.

[@RicoSuave6789]

Just reading the title, I thought the video is about plastic surgery.😅

[@billytheweasel]

Work longer!

[@sliduyzamnoyu]

Super Canadian

[@Royan1900]

what about that girl you were dating when she was 18....but actually now 16/17 (underage) ! Oh god!🙈 😢

[@mapofthesoultagme7143]

so?

[@leongang6113]

Just can't count.

So if you're turning 65 in a week and getting ready to retire, you have to work at least a year more?

[@cooci87]

No because those things are calculated according to the international standard

[@Royan1900]

As if Asians needed yet another way to be younger! 😅

[@양비단TV]

Korean age was that. But no more use that anymore~ you should check it please 🙏 🙂

[@user-np1ij6tf7d]

I do not accept this nonsense.

[@Empress-og5st]

I am younger anything at all these clothes

[@user-cp7xn5pb4d]

Super boring

[@metime4325]

I thought he was going to talk about plastic surgery.

[@faithsanspeur]

No

[@oszyyte8008]

First