Time zone · Asia
KST
Korean Standard Time
Korean Standard Time keeps both North and South Korea ticking in lockstep at UTC+09:00, offering a shared, clockwork rhythm that quietly shapes everything from media releases to daily life across two very different societies.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Current offset
UTC+09:00
Standard · KST
Daylight saving
Not observed
Year-round standard time
IANA zones
2
None observe daylight saving
DST offset
—
No summer variant
About KST
A fixed, year-round offset.
Korean Standard Time keeps both North and South Korea ticking in lockstep at UTC+09:00, offering a shared, clockwork rhythm that quietly shapes everything from media releases to daily life across two very different societies.
IANA zones · the technical identifiers
The 2 zones that resolve to KST.
For software, always store the IANA identifier — never the abbreviation alone. The database keeps these zones distinct because their rules can, and historically did, diverge.
Cities currently on KST
The same hour, city by city.
2 cities · all UTC+09:00
Where KST is used
2 countries.
Same offset · UTC+09:00
Other zones at UTC+09:00 right now.
These named zones share KST's offset today. When daylight saving rules differ, they drift apart for part of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about KST, daylight saving, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Do North and South Korea share the same time zone?
- Yes—both Pyongyang and Seoul use UTC+09:00 as of 2022, meaning they are on the same clock despite political separation. Historically, North Korea briefly used UTC+08:30 (Pyongyang Time) from 2015–2018 before syncing back.
- Does Korean Standard Time observe daylight saving time?
- No. KST does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset stays constant throughout the year.
- Why was Pyongyang Time (UTC+08:30) briefly used?
- North Korea created Pyongyang Time in 2015 as a symbolic move to mark a historical anniversary. It reverted to UTC+09:00 in 2018 to align again with South Korea, partly to ease cross-border cooperation.
- Which countries officially use KST?
- Korean Standard Time is used by North Korea (Asia/Pyongyang) and South Korea (Asia/Seoul).
- How does KST compare to major Asian time zones?
- KST aligns with Japan Standard Time (JST) and one hour behind Some eastern regions like western Australia (UTC+08:00). It places Korea firmly in the daylight-friendly advanced schedule of East Asia, with sunrise relatively early in summer.
- Why did North Korea revert from Pyongyang Time to KST?
- North Korea reverted in mid-2018, reportedly to facilitate practical coordination with South Korea and reduce operational complications. The move aligns Pyongyang with Seoul’s clock (and the broader regional framework).
- Why is Korean Standard Time set at UTC+09:00?
- The UTC+09:00 offset centers the time zone near the 135°E meridian, closely matching the solar noon for the Korean Peninsula and aligning with regional neighbors like Japan.
- Is Korean Standard Time the same as Japan Standard Time?
- Yes, KST and JST both use UTC+09:00 and do not observe daylight saving, so clocks in South Korea, North Korea, and Japan are synchronized.
Free · Developer API
Time, as JSON.
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