April 19, 2024
Analysis

Time for change: The nationalist logic of N. Korea’s new time zone

Playing on bedrock anti-colonial sentiment, Pyongyang chooses one Japanese time zone over another

On August 15 the clocks will be going back in North Korea. This is not a regular occurrence. Actually, to the author’s knowledge, this is the first time the clocks have ever gone back in North Korea.

On Friday the DPRK suddenly announced that it is going to change its time zone. Currently the North Korean time zone is UTC+9, but after August 15 it will be UTC+8.30. Thus, there will be a 30-minute time difference between the two Koreas.

Become a member for less than $4 per week.

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.