Time in North Korea facts for kids

Time in North Korea is called Korea Standard Time (KST). This time is 8.5 hours ahead of a special global time called Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This means if it's 4 PM (16:00) in UTC, it's 1 AM the next day in North Korea. North Korea has never used Daylight Saving Time, which is also known as summer time.

Understanding Time in North Korea

Time zones help us know what time it is around the world. They are based on how far east or west a place is from a special line called the Prime Meridian. This line goes through Greenwich, England. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the main time standard that the world uses. All other time zones are measured from UTC.

North Korea's Time Changes

For a few years, from 2015 to 2018, North Korea had a different time zone. It was set at UTC+08:30. This meant it was 30 minutes behind its neighbors, South Korea and Japan. This change was announced in August 2015.

However, on May 4, 2018, North Korea changed its time back. They moved their clocks forward by 30 minutes at 11:30 PM (23:30). Now, North Korea uses UTC+09:00. This makes its time the same as Seoul in South Korea and Tokyo in Japan.

No Daylight Saving Time

Many countries use Daylight Saving Time. This means they move their clocks forward by an hour in spring and back by an hour in autumn. It helps make better use of daylight. But North Korea has never used Daylight Saving Time. Their clocks stay the same all year round.

Images for kids

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  North Korea uses Pyongyang Time

See also

In Spanish: Hora de Pionyang para niños