Starting this Sunday, the United States will implement Daylight Savings Time (DST), reducing the time difference with South Korea by one hour.
In most parts of the U.S. that observe DST, clocks will be set forward by one hour at 2 a.m. on March 9, adjusting to 3 a.m. As a result, the time difference with South Korea will decrease from 14 hours to 13 hours based on Eastern Standard Time (EST) and from 17 hours to 16 hours based on Pacific Standard Time (PST). According to U.S. federal law, DST begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November. This year, DST will end on November 2.
Daylight Savings Time is a system that sets clocks forward one hour before summer when the days are longer, allowing for extended daylight in the evening. It aims to save energy and boost economic activities. The system is implemented throughout the U.S. except Arizona, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico. However, the biannual clock changes, associated social costs, and health issues due to changes in sleep patterns have sparked ongoing debates about whether to keep DST.
Although the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in March 2022 to make DST permanent, the bill was not addressed in the House of Representatives, leading to its automatic dismissal. Subsequent attempts to abolish DST in Congress have repeatedly failed.
Nevertheless, attention is focused on former President Donald Trump’s recent pledge to push for the abolition of DST as he prepares for his second term. On December 13, Trump posted on Truth Social, stating, “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate daylight saving time,” adding, “Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient and costly to the nation.”