Seoul
What time is it in South Korea
About Seoul
Seoul operates on UTC+9 year-round, with no daylight saving time. What time is it in Seoul? The city is 13 hours ahead of New York. Check the live clock at the top of this page for the exact current time. Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population. Although Seoul's population peaked at over 10 million, it has gradually decreased since 2014, standing at about 9.6 million residents as of 2024.
Popular Time Differences
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is it in Seoul right now?+
Seoul operates on Korea Standard Time (KST), which is UTC+9. There is no daylight saving time in South Korea, so the offset stays the same all year. You can check the exact current time on this page.
What time zone does Seoul use?+
Seoul uses Korea Standard Time (KST), officially UTC+9. South Korea does not observe daylight saving time, making it one of the few major economies with a fixed UTC offset year-round.
How many hours ahead is Seoul compared to London?+
Seoul is 9 hours ahead of London (UTC) in winter and 8 hours ahead during British Summer Time (BST). For example, when it is noon in London during GMT, it is 9:00 PM in Seoul.
What is the time difference between Seoul and New York?+
Seoul is 13 hours ahead of New York during Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 14 hours ahead during Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). A morning meeting at 9 AM in New York corresponds to 10 PM or 11 PM in Seoul.
Is Seoul ahead of or behind UTC?+
Seoul — also known as Seul in several languages — is ahead of UTC by exactly 9 hours (UTC+9). This fixed offset applies every day of the year.
Does Seoul observe daylight saving time?+
No. South Korea abolished daylight saving time in 1988. Seoul's clocks stay at UTC+9 throughout the entire year, which simplifies scheduling international calls and meetings.
What is the time difference between Seoul and Tokyo?+
Seoul and Tokyo share the same UTC offset (UTC+9), so there is no time difference between the two cities. If it is 3:00 PM in Seoul, it is also 3:00 PM in Tokyo.