Busan, South Korea · UTC+9 ☆

Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city and its busiest port, sitting at the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It runs on Asia/Seoul: UTC+9, Korea Standard Time, year-round. South Korea abolished daylight saving time in 1988, the year of the Seoul Olympics, and has not reinstated it.

At 35 degrees north, Busan has more moderate seasonal daylight variation than Seoul. Summer sunsets arrive around 8pm. Winter darkness comes before 5:30pm. The coastal location moderates temperatures, making Busan warmer than Seoul in winter.

The port that kept Korea open

During the Korean War (1950-1953), Busan was the last major city held by UN and South Korean forces before the Pusan Perimeter held against the North Korean advance. The city was the country’s temporary capital during the war and the entry point for UN reinforcements that turned the tide.

The port has been South Korea’s main gateway to international trade ever since. It is one of the world’s busiest container ports, handling goods for the Korean industrial giants whose factories are clustered along the southeast coast. The Gamcheon Culture Village, built into the hillsides overlooking the port, was constructed as housing for wartime refugees and is now a major attraction.

Night ferry to Japan

Busan has a regular ferry service to Shimonoseki and Fukuoka in Japan, a journey of a few hours across the Korea Strait. Despite the geographic proximity, the two countries use different time conventions: Korea uses UTC+9 with no DST, and Japan also uses UTC+9 with no DST. The clocks say the same thing on both sides of the strait.

The time conversion from Busan to London puts London eight hours behind in winter, nine in summer when the UK observes BST. Seoul shares the same clock.

Sources

• IANA Time Zone Database
• Busan Metropolitan City
• Busan Port Authority