North Korean officials have announced a change to the country's time zone to combat “wicked Japanese imperialists”.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) currently operates on the same time zone as South Korea and Japan, but state media announced on Friday that clocks will be set back by 30 minutes on 15 August.

The date is intended to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the country's liberation from Japanese forces at the end of the Second World War, according to state news Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“The Wicked Japanese imperialists committed Crimes Such unpardonable even as depriving Korea of its standard time,” the KCNA release claims.

When the Korean peninsula was one country – prior to the Japanese colonisation in 1910 – it was 8.5 hours ahead of GMT.

The change is expected to mildly inconvenience the Kaesong industrial plant, located on the border and run jointly by North and South, with Unification official Jeong Joon-Hee telling the BBC there may be “some fallout for efforts to unify standards and reduce differences between the two sides”.

Kim Jong-Un - North Korean leader in pictures Show all 3 1 /3 Kim Jong-Un - North Korean leader in pictures Kim Jong-Un - North Korean leader in pictures Kim Jong-Un in pictures Kim inspecting a firing contest of AA artillery personnel at an undisclosed location AFP Kim Jong-Un - North Korean leader in pictures Kim Jong-Un in pictures Kim visits Farm No. 1116, under KPA (Korean People's Army) Unit 810. Reclusive North Korea said on june 16, 2015 it has been hit by the worst drought in a century, compounding chronic food shortages in a country where the United Nations says almost one third of children under five are stunted due to malnourishment. Reuters Kim Jong-Un - North Korean leader in pictures Kim Jong-Un in pictures Kim inspects a night naval fire strike drill of a navy warship sub-unit and ground artillery sub-units AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS

Kim Jong Un is not the first leader to arbitrarily change his nation’s time zone.