North Korea shifts official time to sync with South Korea

North Korean clocks were shifted 30 minutes forward on Friday as part of a de-escalation of tensions between the neighbouring Koreas.

5 May 2018, 9:16am

1 min read

The move is part of a de-escalation of tension between the two countries

North Korea has moved its clocks forward to align itself with South Korea as tensions between the two neighbours continues to de-escalate.

On midnight Friday, North Korean clocks were shifted 30 minutes forward, bringing them back into the same zone after three years. The move comes shortly after the countries began dismantling loudspeakers which had been blasting propaganda across their militarised border since 2016.

According to reports from the Korean Central News Agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un decided to make the change when meeting South Korea's President Moon Jae-in in the demilitarized zone on April 27.

The adjustment will impact many aspects of the country, such as transportation or international settlements.

The two Koreas had once shared an identical standard time, but on Aug 15, 2015, North Korea had established "Pyongyang time" by putting its clocks back half an hour, a symbolic act intended to erase the influence of Japanese colonists and celebrate the 70th anniversary of its liberation.