Does Korea have daylight saving time?
Short answer — no. South Korea has stayed on KST (UTC+9) year-round for decades, so its clock never springs forward or falls back.
South Korea does not observe daylight saving time.
It stays on Korea Standard Time (KST), UTC+9, all year round, so the clocks never spring forward in spring or fall back in autumn.
The country's last brush with summer time was in 1988, around the Seoul Olympics, and it was dropped afterward.
Has Korea ever used daylight saving time?
Yes — but only briefly, and not for decades.
Korea tried daylight saving in 1948–1951, 1955–1960, and again in 1987–1988 for the Seoul Olympics.
None of the trials stuck: they were unpopular and the daylight benefit at Korea's longitude was limited.
| Year(s) | Daylight saving period | Clocks |
|---|---|---|
| 1948–1951 | Observed in summer (early republic) | +1 hour |
| 1955–1960 | Observed in summer | +1 hour |
| 1987 | May 10 – Oct 11 | KST (UTC+9) → UTC+10 |
| 1988 | May 8 – Oct 9 (Seoul Olympics) | KST (UTC+9) → UTC+10 |
| 1989–present | None | Stays on KST (UTC+9) |
South Korea's last daylight saving time was in 1988, for the Seoul Olympics. It has stayed on KST (UTC+9) ever since.
Why does the time difference with Korea change, then?
Because Korea's clock is fixed, any seasonal change in the time gap with your country comes entirely from your side.
New York, for example, sits 14 hours behind Korea in winter and 13 hours behind in summer — but that's New York moving, not Seoul.
When you're scheduling around a comeback, a livestream or a finals match, the only clock change to watch is your own region's daylight-saving switch.
To see the current gap for your city instantly, use the live clock and converter on the home page, or check how many hours ahead Korea is.
Frequently asked
Does Korea have summer time?
"Summer time" is another name for daylight saving time. Korea does not use it — the clock stays on KST (UTC+9) all year.
Does South Korea do daylight savings?
No. South Korea last observed daylight saving in 1988 and has not since.
When did Korea last use daylight saving time?
In 1988, from May 8 to October 9, for the Seoul Olympics.
Why doesn't Korea use DST?
Past trials were unpopular and the daylight benefit at Korea's longitude is limited, so it has stayed on UTC+9 since 1988.
Does North Korea use a different time?
North Korea briefly used UTC+8:30 ("Pyongyang Time") from 2015 but returned to UTC+9 in 2018. Neither Korea observes DST.
Last updated: September 2026
Keep exploring
Comments
Have a question or a tip about this? Add it below.