Seoul: South Korea will strictly enforce a mandatory five-day vehicle rotation system for the public sector to respond to possible oil supply disruption amid continued hostilities in the Middle East, local media reported on Tuesday. Starting Wednesday, the move is part of the government's energy-saving measures to mitigate the impact of global energy shortages.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Seoul-based Climate Ministry announced the enforcement of the vehicle rotation system. The government plans to strengthen monitoring of the public sector's compliance with this license plate-based rationing system. Under this system, cars are divided into five groups based on the last digit of their license plate numbers, and each group is prohibited from driving on a designated weekday. Notably, electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt from these restrictions. Previously, the system was in place but run loosely. With stricter enforcement, approximately 1.5 million vehicles will be affected, helping the country save about 3,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
South Korea's daily crude oil consumption is around 2.8 million barrels, with about half of the volume used for transportation. To further reduce energy consumption, the government will ease restrictions on coal-fired power generation on days with low fine dust levels. Additionally, efforts are underway to swiftly resume operation of five nuclear reactors currently under maintenance to reduce the consumption of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is also impacted by the Mideast conflict.
In diplomatic efforts, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun reached out to his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi to assist Seoul with liquefied natural gas and crude oil procurement. This conversation followed a call with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, urging safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The ongoing regional escalation in the Middle East has continued since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on February 28, resulting in over 1,340 casualties, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. The effective throttling of the Strait of Hormuz since early March has disrupted the passage of around 20 million barrels of oil daily, driving up shipping costs and global oil prices.