What is Korean Age.docx
What is Korean Age?
by Jeon
Seung-jeong, Social Reporter, tmdwjd4984@mju.ac.kr
While it is a kind of taboo to ask somebody
their age in Western countries, one of the first things that native Koreans
will ask you when you meet first will be your age.
This is not because of their lack of
politeness. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Most of people learning Korean
know that there are lots of levels of politeness when conversing in Korean. and
this is why people will ask you your age. They just want to know so that they can
address you according to your answer.
However, when you give them your answer, you may find them nodding
their head and stating a number which is higher than your actual age, or they
may notice you that you are actually older in Korean age. Why is Korean age
different? This is due to the different Korean age system, which is different
from the international age. So for example, if you see any K-pop artist saying
their age in Korean, you should recognize that their actual age is different
because they are not saying their age according to international age.
For
instance,
Q) How old is BTS RM(aka Rap Monster) in
Korea?
◦In
Korean age: He`s 26 years old from January 1st until December 31st, 2019.
◦In
international age: He is 24 years old until August 30th and 25 years old after
September 12st, which is his birthday.
Therefore there is even a Korean Age
calculator on the internet website which is for Western people who already
accustomed to international age system.
As
mentioned above, Koreans calculate their age different to Western age. However
In Asia, not only Koreans calculate their age by their own system but also other
east Asians calculate their ages differently too.
A baby is already considered a year old when they are born opposed
to Western cultures where the baby is zero at birth. According to Dr Gregory
Evon, Senior Lecturer in Asian Studies at the Australian National University,
“The simplest way to explain it is - a baby is one year at birth and then gains
another year at the new year, so it means you can have up to two years in difference
to the Western age.” Also, “There are other factors like the new year and solar
new year, which makes it very complex."
Age
reckonin originated in China, whrer it is believed that a baby`s age starts
from its time in the mother`s womb. and the practice is also common in Korea,
Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam. and the traditional age is also used in
fortune-telling, particularly for important events like finding out the best
time to bury somebody or marry someone.
But this practice has been abandoned in
Japan for "much more pracitcal reasons." according to Dr Simon
Avenell, Director of ANU’s Japan Institute. he told that “A law was passed in the 1950s banning its use for official purposes.
Until then it was acceptable to use either method, which could lead to
confusion,” too.
However regardless of any origins and
system, many Koreans now find their age system is really discomfort when they
communicate with foreigners. Even an online petition against the old age system was filed on
the official website of the Blue House last November, attracting over 3,600
signatures. The poster behind the online petition called on the government to
abolish Korean age and adopt the modern age system in all aspects of society.
Though in the minority, some hope to see the
unique age system embraced and retained for the future. “In South Korean society where titles heavily
depend on one’s age, with terms like ‘dongap’
‘dongsaeng’, ‘hyung’ and ‘nuna’, for instance, abolishing Korean age will cause more confusion, whether it’s good or bad,” one advocate
said in an online comment. Experts believe backlash to the idea of changing the system
stems primarily from reluctance to accept something that is new.
Still it is very
controversial in Korea because of our age system, as Lee Chang-won, a professor
at Hansung University said “There is support for the idea of calculating the
time spent in the womb, as well as opposition to changing old customs, and both
seem to play a role," the public opinion is not yet weighted one-sided,
therefore it will take lots of years to change the old traditional Korean age
system.