South Korea to tighten public-sector driving curbs as energy alert raised
FILE PHOTO: Cars line up at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo
SEOUL, April 1 : South Korea said on Wednesday it would further tighten driving restrictions for public sector workers, as Asia's fourth-largest economy raised its resource security crisis alert in the face of the Middle East crisis.
South Korea is raising its energy security alert to a "warning" as of Thursday, the energy ministry said, up from "caution" and "concern" levels issued during March due to prolonged instability in the Middle East heightening uncertainty over energy supply.
The ministry announced that an odd-even rule that restricts when public-sector vehicles can be used depending on the number on their licence plate will come into effect on April 8. It will affect around 11,000 public institutions.
This replaces a looser mandatory vehicle rotation system for public sector vehicles in late March.
Private sector participation remains voluntary for now.
A five-day rotation barring cars by licence plates will also apply to roughly 30,000 publicly operated car parks.
The ministry urged public sector workers to stagger their commuting hours through flexible working arrangements, avoid non-essential business travel and make greater use of video conferencing.
Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol has said the government could expand restrictions to the public if crude prices rise to around $120–$130 a barrel, a move that would mark the country's first nationwide driving curbs since the 1991 Gulf War.
