Best YouTube Upload Times by Category (Korea)
A 9-category × 7-day × 24-hour heatmap of Korean viewer peaks plus a competitor-avoidance window recommendation.
Choose a category
Heatmap mode
Relative intensity (0~100). X: hour (KST 0-23), Y: day of week.
Gaming
Heavy evening peak after school/work; male-skewed teens–20s.
Top 5 upload windows (competition-adjusted)
Recommended publish time is ~2h before peak. Viewer activity × low competition balance.
- 1Sat+27⬆ Upload13:00⚡ Peak15:00
- 2Sun+27⬆ Upload13:00⚡ Peak15:00
- 3Mon+21⬆ Upload18:00⚡ Peak20:00
- 4Tue+21⬆ Upload18:00⚡ Peak20:00
- 5Wed+21⬆ Upload18:00⚡ Peak20:00
Right now (KST)
Not in Top 5 now
Not a peak window now. Check the earliest Top 5 slot.
Top 5 viewer peaks
- #1Mon · 20:0071
- #2Tue · 20:0071
- #3Wed · 20:0071
- #4Thu · 20:0071
- #5Fri · 20:0071
Competitor avoidance analysis
Gaming category has 90/100 competition density. Evening prime (19–21h KST) is extremely crowded with same-topic uploads. Publishing 1–2h earlier or later often wins better algorithmic placement.
Data sources & caveats
The heatmap is a reference guideline based on public research (YouTube trend reports, creator communities) and viewing-pattern estimates. Use it as a starting point for new channels; channels over 1K subscribers should cross-check with YouTube Studio → Audience.
General Korean viewer peak windows
- • Weekday evening prime: 18–23 KST (shared peak across categories)
- • Weekend dual peaks: 14–17 afternoon + 20–23 evening
- • Commute: 07–09 (news / finance / tech strongest)
- • Lunch: 12–13 (food, mukbang, cooking — shorter videos win)
- • Late night: 23–01 (ASMR, vlog, mukbang, late gaming)
- • YouTube algorithm weights first 1–2 hours of watch time — publish ~2 hours before your target peak.