South Korea enforces strict vehicle rotation as Middle East war disrupts energy

South Korea announced Tuesday it will strictly enforce a mandatory five-day vehicle rotation system for the public sector to counter potential oil supply disruptions caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict. The energy-saving measures reflect growing global concern over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Driving restrictions tightened

Starting Wednesday, the government will strengthen monitoring of compliance with the license plate-based rationing system, which divides vehicles into five groups based on the last digit of their license plates, with each group banned from driving on a designated weekday. Electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt. The system previously existed but was loosely enforced. Approximately 1.5 million vehicles will now be subject to stricter rules, with the measure expected to save about 3,000 barrels of crude oil daily. South Korea's daily crude oil consumption is roughly 2.8 million barrels, half of which is used for transportation.

Energy diversification measures

The government will also ease restrictions on coal-fired power generation on days with low fine dust levels and push for five nuclear reactors currently under maintenance to swiftly resume operation. These steps aim to reduce liquefied natural gas consumption, which has been impacted by the regional conflict.

Diplomatic outreach

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun asked his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi in a phone call Tuesday to assist Seoul with LNG and crude oil procurement. The call came a day after Cho urged Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively throttled since early March. Normally 20 million barrels of oil pass through the strait daily; its disruption has driven up shipping costs and pushed global oil prices higher.