North Korea occupies the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, a mountainous country with coasts on two seas. It receives very few foreign visitors, and its seasons are sharp, with cold winters and hot, rainy summers.
North Korea for visitors
Pyongyang, on the Taedong river, is a planned city of wide avenues, monuments and tall apartment blocks, with a deep metro whose stations are decorated with chandeliers and mosaics. Kaesong, in the south, was the capital of the Koryo dynasty and has old tombs, a Confucian academy and traditional houses. The best-known mountains are Myohyang, Kumgang, with its granite peaks, and Paektu, with a crater lake. The few British people who visit usually travel as part of an organised tour ([1]). The UK government currently advises against all but essential travel to North Korea; check your own government's latest travel advice before planning a trip ([1]).
Time in North Korea
North Korea has one time zone, Asia/Pyongyang, and is on UTC+9 all year, the same time as South Korea and Japan. In May 2018 it moved its clocks from UTC+8:30 back to UTC+9, to keep the same time as South Korea ([2], [3]). Right now Pyongyang is 1 hour ahead of Beijing, 6 hours ahead of Moscow and 9 hours ahead of London.
Climate and weather
North Korea has a continental climate, with long, cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers; the north and the mountains are much colder. In Pyongyang, average lows fall to −10°C in January, and average highs reach 30°C in August. Most of the year's rain comes in summer, during the rainy season: the capital gets about 1,000 mm a year, and July is the wettest month there. It has about 2,150 hours of sunshine a year.
- Pyongyang
- Seoul
Show the numbers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyongyang | −0.5 | 3.2 | 9.6 | 17.6 | 23.6 | 27.4 | 28.9 | 29.6 | 25.9 | 18.9 | 9.7 | 1.3 |
| Seoul | 2.1 | 5.1 | 11.0 | 17.9 | 23.6 | 27.6 | 29.0 | 30.0 | 26.2 | 20.2 | 11.9 | 4.2 |
Best time to visit North Korea
Spring, from April to early June, and autumn, from September to October, are the mildest and clearest seasons, with blossom in spring and autumn colours in the mountains. Summer is hot and wet, and winter is very cold, with freezing temperatures for months.
Practical facts
- Capital: Pyongyang. Population: about 26 million (UN World Population Prospects 2024, 2023 estimate).
- Currency: North Korean won (KPW).
- Language: Korean; kamsahamnida means thank you.
- Calling code: +850.
- Driving: on the right.
Plan your trip with hoyoopin
- The live weather and the month-by-month climate table for Pyongyang are on this page.
- Seoul city guide: the same time zone and a similar climate, with its own climate table.
- World Clock and Weather for any town in North Korea.
- Asia: time zones and key facts for the continent.
- Further reading: fractional time zones, including North Korea's years on a half-hour offset.
Sources
- GOV.UK: North Korea: current UK guidance, updated 10 December 2025; British visitors usually travel on an organised tour.
- tz mailing list, "DPRK to revert to UTC+9 from UTC+8:30" (April 2018): the change from UTC+8:30 to UTC+9 from 5 May 2018.
- tz mailing list, "'Pyongyang Time' scrapped" (May 2018): the time zone database has North Korea on the same time as South Korea.