North Korea shifts its time zone to align with the South

North Korea shifted its time zone 30 minutes earlier on Saturday (May 5) to align with South Korea as a first practical step for national reconciliation and unity.

Earlier this week, North Korean state media reported that its leader Kim Jong Un said it was "a painful wrench" to see two clocks showing different Pyongyang and Seoul times on a wall at the summit venue during the historic meeting on April 27 with President Moon Jae-in.

North Korea created its time zone in 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule after World War Two. SouthKorea and Japan are in the same time zone, nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.