In a surprising turn of events, Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min is now officially one year younger in his home country of South Korea, reported by mirror. The South Korean government has recently passed a new law that changes the way age is recognized for its citizens.

Traditionally, South Korea counted a person as one year old as soon as they were born, adding an extra year on January 1 regardless of their actual birthday. While the country has started using the internationally recognized system of age calculation from zero on the day of birth for medical and legal purposes, the traditional system remained in place for other aspects of life. However, lawmakers voted to abandon this system in December, and the new law has now been implemented.

South Korea's Minister of Government Legislation, Lee Wan-kyu, stated that the change is expected to reduce legal disputes, complaints, and social confusion caused by the calculation of ages. President Yoon Suk Yeol had pledged to make this change when he ran for office, citing the unnecessary social and economic costs associated with the traditional age counting method.

As a result of this new law, Son Heung-min will now be officially recognized as being 30 years old. Despite rumors of a lucrative £100 million offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, Son has expressed his commitment to remaining with Tottenham. While on international duty, he stated, “I am not ready to go to that league, and I like the Premier League.”

Since joining Tottenham from Hamburg in 2015 for £22 million, Son has been a valuable asset to the team. He has scored an impressive 145 goals in 372 appearances across all competitions, helping Tottenham reach the UEFA Champions League final in 2019 and sharing the Premier League golden boot with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in the 2021-22 season.

The change in Son's official age reflects a significant development in South Korea's approach to age calculation and will have implications for how he is perceived and celebrated in his home country.