'Aged 29' "You're in your 30s"... We Just Use Korean Counting Age

It has been one year since the implementation of the ‘Man Age’ system, but it appears that many people still feel inconvenienced.

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On the 21st, market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor announced the results of the ‘2024 Man Age Unification Policy Awareness Survey,’ conducted on 1,200 men and women nationwide aged 13 to 69.

According to the survey, about half of the respondents (53.8%) were well aware of the ‘Man Age Unification’ policy, which was implemented in June last year (2023). The frequency of using Man Age actually showed a slight increase compared to the 2022 survey. By age group, the usage rates were 4.8% → 19.5% for those in their 20s, 8.8% → 24.5% for those in their 30s, 9.2% → 30.0% for those in their 40s, and 22.8% → 36.5% for those in their 50s. Nevertheless, the proportion of people who usually state their age using the ‘Sae-neun Age’ (traditional Korean age counting) was overwhelmingly high at 60.8%. Additionally, a significant number of respondents reported having experienced confusion between the concepts of ‘Sae-neun Age’ and ‘Man Age’ when stating their age (62.9%, agreement rate), and many evaluated that the way they address acquaintances or colleagues has not changed compared to before the ‘Man Age Unification’ (73.1%).

In Korean society, three age counting methods have mainly been used: ‘Man Age,’ ‘Sae-neun Age,’ and ‘Yeon Age’ (year age). Because there are three different ways to calculate age, a considerable number of respondents felt confused (72.3%, agreement rate).

A majority of respondents believed that unifying to the legal age, ‘Man Age,’ could improve the efficiency of administrative services and other areas (67.2%, agreement rate), and that the ‘Man Age Unification’ policy, being adjusted to international standards, would also help with globalization (60.9%). More than half also agreed that it could reduce social and economic costs incurred in public sectors and elsewhere (52.9%).

The emphasis on improving perceptions about ‘age’ seems to be related to the long-standing ‘age-based prejudice’ in Korean society. Respondents strongly agreed that Korean society has strong prejudices about age (86.8%, agreement rate) and that many people seem to be overly preoccupied with their own ‘age’ (79.0%). A significant number of respondents reported experiences of being treated differently because they were ‘older,’ such as being expected to pay for meals (57.8%, agreement rate) or being deprived of opportunities (39.6%). Conversely, many also experienced being assigned minor chores (including errands) because they were ‘younger’ (61.8%) or being criticized or scolded by juniors or seniors (54.9%).

Trend Monitor evaluated that “in the future, the importance of fostering a social atmosphere where fixed ideas and unnecessary prejudices about age are reduced, and where various age groups can mutually respect and coexist, is likely to be further emphasized.”