Original photo by ANURAK PONGPATIMET/ Shutterstock
In many countries, a baby’s first birthday marks a joyous milestone for parents, honoring the many months of sleepless nights and hard work involved in welcoming a new family member. But in some places — like South Korea — babies are already considered 1 year old at birth. Korean culture calculates age in three different ways, and the oldest and most traditional way (often called “Korean age”) may have gotten its start by accounting for the time spent in utero, rounding up a nine-month gestation to a full year.
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It's a factTeacher Patty Smith Hill and her sister, pianist Mildred Jane Hill, are credited with composing the song, though its original words were “good morning to you,” welcoming students to class. The duo crafted the simple melody so it would be easy for young singers to learn.
Under this measurement, everyone gains another year of age on January 1, regardless of their actual birth date — meaning it’s possible for a baby born on December 31 to turn 2 years old the following day. Yet individual birthdays are still recorded and celebrated; in fact, South Korea has used the “international age” system that counts age by date of birth for medical and administrative purposes since 1962. A third age-counting method acts as a compromise between accuracy and culture: Babies are born at age 0, but gain a year on New Year’s Day.
Knowing someone’s age is culturally important in Korea; it’s tied to language, impacting how people address their elders and interact on social occasions. However, the traditional method of determining age does cause some confusion when it comes to administering medications, vaccinations, and health care procedures that are determined by one’s years, and has also caused issues with legal disputes. In December 2022, the South Korean government passed laws that standardized the use of international age, meaning many Koreans will technically become one to two years younger.
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In Korean culture, blood types are used to determine compatibility.
Knowing your blood type is just as important as knowing your age in South Korea, where many people believe it can make or break a relationship. For nearly 100 years, Koreans have associated personality traits with blood types in the same way believers of astrology use birth dates to understand someone’s identity. People with Type A blood supposedly have a hard time trusting others but are highly creative, while Type Bs are known for being passionate and independent. People with AB blood types are categorized as rational introverts, while Type Os are often considered natural leaders. Many scientists say there’s no known link between a person’s blood type and their personality, though the idea has taken hold in Korean pop culture, featured as a plot point in books and movies.
Nicole Garner Meeker is a writer and editor based in St. Louis. Her history, nature, and food stories have also appeared at Mental Floss and Better Report.
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