Current Time in South Korea

Korea Standard Time (KST) · UTC+9 · No Daylight Saving Time · Same as Japan (JST)

Live South Korea Time (KST · UTC+9 · No DST)
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Seoul · Busan · Incheon · Same time as Tokyo (JST)

South Korea Time vs World Cities

CityZoneCurrent Time
South Korea (KST)UTC+9--:--
New YorkEST/EDT--:--
Los AngelesPST/PDT--:--
LondonGMT/BST--:--
TokyoJST--:--
BeijingCST--:--
SingaporeSGT--:--
Mumbai (IST)IST--:--
SydneyAEST/AEDT--:--

Best Time to Call South Korea

Korea business hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM KST (UTC+9). No DST — same offset as Japan (JST).

Calling FromYour TimeKorea Time
EST (New York)7:00 PM – 4:00 AM EST9:00 AM – 6:00 PM KST
PST (Los Angeles)4:00 PM – 1:00 AM PST9:00 AM – 6:00 PM KST
GMT (London)Midnight – 9:00 AM GMT9:00 AM – 6:00 PM KST
CET (Berlin/Paris)1:00 AM – 10:00 AM CET9:00 AM – 6:00 PM KST
IST (India)5:30 AM – 2:30 PM IST9:00 AM – 6:00 PM KST
SGT (Singapore)8:00 AM – 5:00 PM SGT9:00 AM – 6:00 PM KST

South Korea City Times

Seoul time
KST (UTC+9)
Busan time
KST (UTC+9)
Seoul → New York
Seoul → London
Seoul → Tokyo
Seoul → Singapore

South Korea Time Zone — KST Explained

South Korea uses Korea Standard Time (KST, UTC+9), fixed year-round. KST is numerically identical to Japan Standard Time (JST) — there is no time difference between Seoul and Tokyo. South Korea abolished DST in 1988 following a brief two-year experiment (1987–1988) for the Seoul Summer Olympics.

South Korea uses a single time zone nationwide. The peninsula is narrow enough (roughly 300 km wide) that a single offset works well geographically. The IANA identifier is Asia/Seoul.

Time Zone
KST
UTC Offset
UTC+9
Daylight Saving
No DST (since 1988)
Same as
Japan (JST)

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is it in South Korea right now?
South Korea uses Korea Standard Time (KST), which is UTC+9. There is no Daylight Saving Time. All cities — Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu — are on the same time zone. The live clock at the top shows the current time in South Korea.
Is South Korea time the same as Japan time?
Yes. Korea Standard Time (KST, UTC+9) and Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9) are the same UTC offset. There is no time difference between Seoul and Tokyo. Both countries use UTC+9 year-round with no DST.
Does South Korea observe Daylight Saving Time?
No. South Korea abolished Daylight Saving Time in 1988. Korea used DST from 1987 to 1988 in preparation for the Seoul Olympics, but abandoned it after the Games. KST has been fixed at UTC+9 since then.
What is the time difference between South Korea and the US?
South Korea (KST, UTC+9) is 14 hours ahead of New York (EST, UTC−5) and 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles (PST, UTC−8). During US Daylight Saving Time, the gaps narrow by 1 hour. Korea is effectively "the next day" compared to US Eastern time.
What is the time difference between South Korea and the UK?
South Korea (KST, UTC+9) is 9 hours ahead of London (GMT, UTC+0) in UK winter. During British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1), Korea is 8 hours ahead. When it is 9:00 AM in London (GMT), it is 6:00 PM in Seoul.
What is the time difference between South Korea and China?
South Korea (KST, UTC+9) is 1 hour ahead of China (CST, UTC+8). When it is 10:00 AM in Beijing or Shanghai, it is 11:00 AM in Seoul. This gap is constant year-round as neither country observes DST.
What time zone is Seoul in?
Seoul uses Korea Standard Time (KST, UTC+9). The IANA time zone identifier is Asia/Seoul. South Korea uses a single nationwide time zone — there are no internal time zone boundaries.

South Korea City Times & Converters

Seoul timeBusan timeSeoul → New YorkSeoul → LondonSeoul → TokyoSeoul → SingaporeSeoul → Los AngelesSouth Korea country infoTime converter tool
Time zone data powered by the IANA Time Zone Database. South Korea: Asia/Seoul (KST, UTC+9). No DST.