Current Time in Seoul
South Korea — Asia/Seoul
About Time in Seoul
Seoul operates on Korea Standard Time (IANA: Asia/Seoul) at UTC+9 year-round. South Korea does not observe daylight saving time. KST is the same offset as Japan Standard Time (JST), meaning Seoul and Tokyo are always on the same time despite being in separate countries.
Seoul is 14 hours ahead of New York during EST and 13 hours ahead during EDT. It is 9 hours ahead of London during GMT, 1 hour ahead of Shanghai/Beijing, and the same time as Tokyo. At longitude 127 E, Seoul's geographic position aligns reasonably well with UTC+9, with solar noon occurring at about 12:30 PM KST.
South Korea's fixed KST timezone reflects a straightforward timekeeping approach. The Korea Exchange (KRX) in Seoul operates from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM KST, and the country's massive technology sector (home to Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and SK) coordinates globally from this timezone. Seoul's alignment with Tokyo on UTC+9 facilitates strong economic ties between the two countries, while the 1-hour difference from China (UTC+8) creates a manageable offset for the extensive Korea-China trade relationship.
Time Facts
South Korea briefly used UTC+8:30 as its timezone from 1954 to 1961, establishing a unique 'Korea Time' to differentiate from Japan's UTC+9 after decades of colonial rule — but switched back to UTC+9 for economic convenience.
Seoul's Jongno district is named after the 'Jongnu,' or bell pavilion, where a large bell (Bosingak) was struck 28 times at dawn (4:00 AM) and 28 times at dusk (10:00 PM) during the Joseon Dynasty to mark the opening and closing of the city gates.
South Korea has one of the world's fastest average internet speeds, and its online gaming and streaming culture is heavily tied to KST — major esports tournaments and K-pop comebacks are timed to prime-time KST (8-10 PM).
The Korean New Year (Seollal) is calculated using the lunisolar calendar but celebrated on KST — the exact moment of the Lunar New Year can differ between Seoul and Beijing (which celebrates the same holiday one hour later on the clock).
Business Hours
Standard business hours in Seoul are 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM KST (00:00-09:00 UTC), with many Korean companies maintaining a culture of working later into the evening.