In an unusual turn of events, Tottenham forward Son Heung-min has seemingly become a year younger due to South Korea's revision of their traditional age counting methods.
Amidst persistent rumors linking him to the burgeoning Saudi Arabian league, Son has refuted such speculations and is now fully focused on the upcoming season with Spurs. The news of South Korea's law change provides a boost for Son as he prepares for the campaign ahead.
The law, which was initially passed in December following strong advocacy by newly elected Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, came into effect on Wednesday.
Under the previous system, a Korean's age was determined by including the gestation period, resulting in all newborns being considered one-year-old at birth. Additionally, every individual would age by one year on January 1st, even if their birth occurred in December.
The revised approach aligns South Korea with international age counting practices. It entails considering babies as zero years old at birth, with an additional year added to their age annually.
In the United Kingdom, Son, born on July 8, 1992, has always been classified according to the international method and will continue to be recognized as 30 years old.
The changes will not impact Tottenham's registration process for the player, as the club only requires an accurate date of birth rather than age information. Other footballers, including Bayern Munich target Kim Min-jae, Mallorca's Kang-In Lee, and Celtic's Hyun-Gyu Oh, will also be affected by these modifications.
Meanwhile, amidst rumors of a £51 million bid from Al-Ittihad, Son downplayed any potential move to Saudi Arabia and emphasized that money is not his primary concern. Expressing his dedication to the Premier League, Son stated that playing in his favorite league and the pride of being a footballer hold greater importance to him.
These comments were made by the South Korea captain during his international duties.
