March 21, 2023
News

North Korea to change time zone by half hour

Pyongyang says current Korean time based on longitude of Japan, new time appropriate for Korea

North Korea announced it will change its standard time by half an hour later this month, the Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.

North Korea is planning to change its standard time to UTC+8.5, a half hour behind the current Korean Standard Time, and will refer to it as Pyongyang Time. The change will be implemented on August 15, the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender to the Allies in World War II and, consequently, Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule.