As high oil prices persist amid instability in the Middle East, financial holding companies have joined the "five-day rotation" in line with energy-saving efforts. The five-day rotation is a system that restricts driving by day of the week based on the last digit of a license plate. Vehicles with last digits 1 and 6 do not operate on Monday; 2 and 7 on Tuesday; 3 and 8 on Wednesday; 4 and 9 on Thursday; and 5 and 0 on Friday.
According to the financial sector on the 24th, NH Nonghyup Financial Group applied the five-day rotation to all affiliates' corporate vehicles for business use and to employees' commuting vehicles. It is also encouraging lights-out in office spaces and shutting off power to unused electronic devices to save energy.
Shinhan Financial Group has expanded the five-day rotation to include executive and senior vice president business-use vehicles across the group since the 23rd. KB Financial plans to implement the five-day rotation starting on the 25th for business-use and commuting vehicles of all affiliate executives and employees. However, branch business-use vehicles and eco-friendly vehicles are excluded from the application.
Hana Financial Group will also implement the five-day rotation with participation from all executives and employees starting on the 25th, while simultaneously pursuing comprehensive energy-saving measures such as turning off unnecessary nighttime landscape lighting and switching off all lights after branch hours.
Minister Kim Sung-hwan of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said that the five-day rotation would be mandated for the public sector on this day. Public institutions located in cities and counties with populations of 500,000 or more are implementing the five-day rotation, and starting on the 25th it will be expanded to the remaining public institutions. However, for the private sector, the government decided to encourage voluntary participation.