Korea Time to the United States: Convert KST to Every US Time Zone
Korea (KST) doesn't use daylight saving, but the US does — so the gap changes by an hour between summer and winter. Here's every US zone in one place, plus what time K-pop comebacks actually land for you.
Which US time zone are you in?
The US spans six zones, so the first step is knowing yours: Eastern (ET) — New York, Atlanta, Miami; Central (CT) — Chicago, Dallas, Houston; Mountain (MT) — Denver, Phoenix*; Pacific (PT) — Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas; Alaska (AK) — Anchorage; and Hawaii (HI) — Honolulu. *Most of Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year and does not use daylight saving.
The one rule that trips fans up
Korea uses a single clock, KST (UTC+9), and does not observe daylight saving. The US does — clocks spring forward on the second Sunday of March and fall back on the first Sunday of November. So during US summer the gap to Korea is one hour smaller than in winter. Korea never moves; the change is always on the US side.
Full conversion table
How far ahead Korea (KST) is of each US zone:
| US zone | City | Winter — KST ahead | Summer — KST ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern (ET) | New York | +14h (EST) | +13h (EDT) |
| Central (CT) | Chicago | +15h (CST) | +14h (CDT) |
| Mountain (MT) | Denver | +16h (MST) | +15h (MDT) |
| Mountain (AZ) | Phoenix | +16h all year | +16h (no DST) |
| Pacific (PT) | Los Angeles | +17h (PST) | +16h (PDT) |
| Alaska (AK) | Anchorage | +18h | +17h |
| Hawaii (HI) | Honolulu | +19h all year | +19h (no DST) |
When a comeback drops at 6 PM KST, what time is it for you?
Most K-pop comebacks land at 6 PM KST. Here is that moment across the mainland zones:
| Zone | 6 PM KST — winter | 6 PM KST — summer |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (New York) | 4:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| Central (Chicago) | 3:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| Mountain (Denver) | 2:00 AM | 3:00 AM |
| Pacific (Los Angeles) | 1:00 AM | 2:00 AM |
Yes — for most of the US that is the middle of the night, so many fans catch the replay rather than the live drop. An afternoon reveal at 1 PM KST lands the evening before in the US: around 11:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM PT the previous day in winter.
Convert a specific time
Need an exact time rather than a table? Enter any Korea time and date on the home page to see it in your zone. Or jump to a city page: Korea time to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Toronto. Fans in Europe: see the Korea time to Europe hub.
Frequently asked
Is Korea ahead of or behind US time?
Ahead of every US zone — from 14 hours ahead of the East Coast to 19 hours ahead of Hawaii, depending on the zone and the season.
Does Korea change clocks for daylight saving?
No. Korea Standard Time is UTC+9 year-round; only the US side shifts, so the gap changes when the US does, never because of Korea.
Why is the time difference different in summer?
The US moves to daylight time from mid-March to early November, but Korea does not — so the gap shrinks by one hour during US summer.
What time is a 6 PM KST comeback in New York?
4:00 AM ET in winter and 5:00 AM ET in summer. Use the converter for your exact zone and date.