Government to enforce public sector vehicle restrictions, encourages private sector to follow suit
Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 13:57
Updated: 24 Mar. 2026, 15:25
![An awareness campaign for the car license plate restriction system takes place in Suwon on March 23. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/24/0e0af779-b0f9-4e44-b8aa-eddf2c5aa083.jpg)
An awareness campaign for the car license plate restriction system takes place in Suwon on March 23. [YONHAP]
The government will strictly enforce a mandatory five-day vehicle restriction system for the public sector to respond to possible oil supply disruption amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East while also implementing additional energy-saving measures, the Climate Ministry said Tuesday.
Starting Wednesday, the government will beef up monitoring of the public sector's compliance with the five-day driving restriction system, under which cars are divided into five groups based on their license plate numbers and each group is prohibited from driving on a designated weekday, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.
The system has been in place but loosely enforced. Electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt from the restrictions.
The ministry will distribute detailed guidelines on the public sector's implementation of the system and push for penalties against public institutions that fail to comply with the rules.
Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-hwan outlined plans to save energy and respond to the crisis during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday after the government issued a “caution” level resource security alert for crude oil.
The ministry plans to cut liquefied natural gas (LNG) use by increasing coal and nuclear power, tighten oil-saving and energy conservation measures and speed up the rollout of renewable energy and energy storage systems.
![A sign informing drivers of the five-day vehicle rotation system is displayed in front of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Hall on Jeju Island on March 23. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/24/1870aac3-add8-4da3-b726-8d71abbe0e43.jpg)
A sign informing drivers of the five-day vehicle rotation system is displayed in front of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Hall on Jeju Island on March 23. [YONHAP]
The government is advising the private sector to voluntarily participate in the program amid growing uncertainty surrounding crude supplies. They will consider making the system mandatory for the private sector as well if a Level 3 national resource crisis alert is issued for oil supply.
The government raised the alert by a notch last week, to Level 2 in Korea's four-tiered national resource security crisis warning system, over possible disruptions in the nation's crude oil supply.
It will also ask the top 50 companies in terms of oil consumption to devise energy-saving plans, and provide incentives to those who meet energy consumption reduction targets. At the same time, the government will also call on public institutions and large corporations to temporarily adjust working hours to help even out traffic demand for more effective energy consumption.
Additionally, the government will ease restrictions on coal-fired power generation on days with low fine dust levels and push for the swift resumption of operations at five nuclear reactors currently under maintenance as part of efforts to reduce consumption of LNG, the supply of which has also been impacted by the Mideast crisis.
President Lee Jae Myung also urged public cooperation.
“Public institutions should take the lead by implementing measures such as the five-day rotation system, and I ask citizens to join efforts to save energy by using public transportation and reducing electricity use in daily life,” he said on Tuesday.
BY PAIK JI-HWAN, YONHAP [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)