Current Time in Hamhung
North Korea's culture of time
North Korea's culture of time
Strict time management led by the state
In North Korea, state control is strong, and time management is thorough in all work, education, and military activities. Being late or deviating from schedules can be seen as disloyalty, and collective action is emphasized.
A work-centered lifestyle that starts early in the morning
Workers and students start their activities early in the morning, and political studies, cleaning activities, and collaborative work are included in their daily schedules. Free time is limited.
Collective action takes precedence over private life
Even in daily life, there are collective work on a local basis and supervision by instructors, and the use of time is basically decided according to the instructions of the organization rather than the individual.
North Korea's values regarding time
Punctuality is considered part of "loyalty"
Being late for work or assembly time can be seen as a lack of loyalty to the system, and punctuality is linked to ideology and discipline.
Leaders' schedules take top priority
At political events and rallies, the schedules of citizens are sometimes adjusted to match the movements of the supreme leader, and national schedules take priority over the schedules of ordinary citizens.
Individual free time is extremely limited
Due to the restrictions of the market economy, the concept of leisure is poor, and most of the time is spent on national and group activities.
Things foreigners should know about time when traveling or relocating to North Korea
The government manages all visit schedules
Foreigners' visits are generally accompanied by a guide, and all actions and travel times are decided and supervised by the government. You cannot freely adjust your own time.
Lateness and schedule violations are viewed seriously
On guided tours, you may be severely reprimanded if you are late to the designated time, so you must always be aware of strictness regarding time.
Commercial facilities and transportation are also limited by time
Stores have limited opening hours, public transportation is scarce, and it is almost impossible to travel or shop outside of a pre-determined schedule.
Interesting trivia about time in North Korea
"Pyongyang time" used only for a short time
From 2015 to 2018, North Korea adopted its own "Pyongyang time (UTC+8:30)". This was introduced to differentiate it from Japan and South Korea, and was later abolished due to a policy of reconciliation with South Korea, and it was unified again to UTC+9.
Work and group activities exist even on weekends
Officially, weekends are considered holidays, but in reality, "voluntary volunteer work" and political studies are mandatory, and there are often no complete days off.
The clock is linked to the leader's speeches and broadcasts
On days when there are important speeches or national broadcasts, the whole country must act accordingly, and even the flow of time is unified under "national leadership", creating a unique culture.