As the government decided to apply a "1-in-5 rotation" for private cars using public parking lots due to the prolonged Middle East crisis, car-sharing companies such as SOCAR and GreenCar (Lotte Rental G car) will be excluded from the rule. As a result, car-sharing use is not expected to face immediate disruptions.
An official at the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy said on the 2nd that "we will exclude car-sharing companies' vehicles from the 1-in-5 rotation and protect property rights." The 1-in-5 rotation is a measure that restricts operation by day of the week based on the last digit of the license plate number.
Starting on the 8th, the government will tighten the rule for public institutional sector vehicles to a 1-in-2 rotation and apply the 1-in-5 rotation to private vehicles in public parking lots. For example, on Wednesday the 8th, vehicles with license plates ending in 3 or 8 will be restricted from using public parking lots regardless of whether they are public or private.
After the government announcement, confusion spread among car-sharing users. This is because car-sharing companies have used public parking lots as depots for vehicle placement and returns.
On social media and online communities, reactions included, "If the car I reserved falls under the 1-in-5 rotation, can't I take it out of a public parking lot?" and "I'm worried because the SOCAR Zone (depot) closest to my home is in a public parking lot."
Car-sharing companies such as SOCAR and Lotte Rental G car also held countermeasure meetings starting the previous day over the possibility that they would be unable to use public parking lots as depots.
As the government has carved out exceptions by classifying delivery trucks and cargo trucks as livelihood vehicles, it also plans to exclude car-sharing vehicles from the rule.
However, if the Middle East crisis drags on, there remains a possibility that the restriction will be expanded to private vehicles more broadly. Koo Yun-cheol, Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy and Minister of Economy and Finance, said in a broadcast interview on the 29th that if the resource security alert is raised to the "caution" level, applying the 1-in-5 rotation to private vehicles could also be considered.
This measure is tied to concerns over rising international oil prices. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a nationally televised address on the morning of the 2nd Korea time that "over the next 2 to 3 weeks, we will deliver a powerful blow to Iran," sending international oil prices back into an uptrend. Currently, front-month prices for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent crude are both above $100 per barrel.