Public Sector Vehicle Restrictions Lifted Starting July 1

The government will lift the public sector vehicle restrictions, including the two-day vehicle use limit for public institutions and the five-day limit for public parking lots, starting July 1. This decision comes as tensions in the Middle East ease and international oil supply conditions improve.

However, the government noted that uncertainties regarding energy supply have not been completely resolved, and it will continue its energy-saving campaigns and policies.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on June 30 that the resource security alert level will be downgraded from 'alert' to 'caution' as of midnight on July 1, leading to the full lifting of the vehicle restrictions.

This measure follows improvements in international oil supply conditions, including the resumption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The government had implemented the vehicle restrictions in April when it raised the resource security alert level to 'alert'.

Initially, the government considered easing the two-day vehicle restriction to a five-day limit once the alert level was downgraded. However, during a Cabinet meeting, President Lee Jae-myung directed that the restrictions be lifted immediately to minimize public inconvenience.

As a result, public institutions will end the mandatory two-day vehicle restriction and revert to a voluntary vehicle use schedule. The five-day restriction for public parking lots will also be lifted, eliminating restrictions for visitors to public institutions.

The Ministry of Climate estimated that this decision will save approximately 160,900 barrels of oil per month, equivalent to the fuel capacity of about 480,000 vehicles. In addition to the public sector, 81 private companies and economic organizations have voluntarily participated in the vehicle restrictions to date.

The government plans to expand public participation in energy-saving campaigns until the resource security crisis is fully resolved. Given the ongoing uncertainties in oil supply, it will monitor the situation closely and implement energy-saving measures promptly if any unusual developments occur, such as a re-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Park Deok-yeol, Director of Hydrogen and Thermal Industry Policy at the Ministry of Climate, expressed gratitude to the private sector and companies that voluntarily participated in energy-saving efforts, urging continued participation as the situation is not yet fully resolved.