Major conglomerates such as CJ, GS, Hanwha, HD Hyundai, Hyundai Motor, Lotte, Samsung, SK, and POSCO are requiring employees to leave their cars at home once a week depending on the last digit of their license plates.
The country's five major banks - Hana, KB Kookmin, NH NongHyup, Shinhan, and Woori - are also implementing similar measures.
Business lobbies such as the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea Employers Federation, and the Korea International Trade Association have also followed suit.
According to the ministry, about 50 large and mid-sized companies including universities and other private institutions are taking part in these energy-saving efforts, just about a week after state-run agencies and public institutions took the lead late last month.
Civil servants and staff at public institutions, previously mandated to leave their cars at home one day per week since March 25, are now required to commute by public transportation every other day starting from Wednesday.
About 50 refiners, petrochemical companies, and others heavily reliant on petroleum have also pledged to reduce energy consumption, with plans to cut usage this year by 3.3 percent or 130,000 tons of oil equivalent from last year's 3.93 million toe.
The 130,000 toe is equivalent to about 610 gigawatt-hours of energy, roughly the amount of electricity generated by a nuclear power plant operating for about a month.
The ministry also plans to support companies that meet their reduction targets by subsidizing the installation of energy-saving facilities.
Many workers are also participating by turning off lights during lunch breaks, using stairs instead of elevators, carpooling, or riding bicycles.
"It is encouraging to see many companies and organizations voluntarily join despite difficulties caused by high oil prices," said Park Deok-yeol, a ministry official, vowing to further expand energy-saving efforts.
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