Koreans are getting younger. Literally.

Want to instantly become a year or two years younger? You are in luck then because Korea is officially turning back the clock for everyone as they ditch their age system. Now everyone is instantly a year or two younger. (No creams, lotions, or expensive surgery necessary.)

You see, Korea is the last country to utilize the Confucian system of determining one’s age. Under the “Korean age” system, you are one year old when you are born, then become one year older on January 1. China and Japan once used this system but long ago abandoned it. 

Now the Korean government has decided to make things easier. They will officially begin counting birthdays like the rest of the world and you begin life at zero. So, if you live in Korea, you have now become a year or two younger according to the law. 

Since Korean dramas often use time travel as a plot device like My Love From the Stars, Chicago Typewriter, or the always popular May/December romances Something in the Rain, or the intense Secret Affair, will the new age system change show up in drama series? 

Some potential plots?

• A person convicted of a crime as an adult is now 16 and a minor. Is the case thrown out? 

• In a Soju-soaked hookup, you forget your new age and inadvertently tell someone your previous? Are you seen as a liar or just forgetful?

• A time traveler is instantly a different age. Does she miss the time portal because it’s suddenly a different year?

We can’t wait to see what Korean drama writers can make of this new age system which will undoubtedly make its way into the culture and dramas we can all enjoy.