South Koreans recently woke up one year younger
A centuries-old tradition once made newborns instantly one year old, meaning a baby born on New Year's Eve could technically turn two just twenty-four hours after birth.
In South Korea, age has long been a matter of social rank rather than just a biological tally. Under the traditional system, a person was considered one year old the moment they were born, accounting for the time spent in the womb. Every person then gained another year simultaneously on January 1, regardless of their actual birthday. This meant a child born on December 31 would wake up the next morning as a two-year-old, despite having lived for only a single day. This numerical quirk governed nearly every social interaction, as even a one-year gap dictates which honorifics a person uses and who is expected to pour the drinks at a shared meal.