At 8 a.m. on the 8th, at the entrance to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno District, Seoul. A driver in a sedan stopped at the barrier protested, but police and administrative staff blocked the car. It was because the last digit of the license plate number was odd. The car was immediately recorded as a "violation case." On the first day of the public sector's two-day vehicle rotation, confusion over exceptions and enforcement played out across sites.
◇ Two-day rotation for public institutions… disciplined after three strikes
Starting this day, a stricter two-day (odd-even) rotation replaced the existing five-day rotation for civil servants and employees of public institutions. On odd-numbered days, only vehicles with an odd last digit may operate; on even-numbered days, only even-numbered vehicles may operate. A "three-strikes out" system was also introduced, under which offenders face discipline after three violations.
An official at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said, "Just coming in while violating the odd-even rotation counts as one violation," adding, "Many of those caught claim they didn't know, but we have no choice but to follow the rules."
Exceptions apply to vehicles carrying people with disabilities (including companions), national merit honorees, pregnant women, and preschool children, as well as electric and hydrogen vehicles, and emergency or medical vehicles. If public transit use is difficult, the institution head may also exempt a case. In such cases, applicants must apply in advance to receive a permit sticker.
In the parking lot of the Dongjak District Office in Seoul, cars with exception stickers stood out. There were vehicles marked "companion to a person with disabilities," and some received stickers for "insufficient public transit." One such vehicle lived in Namdong District, 34 kilometers away, meeting the travel distance threshold (30 kilometers or more).
◇ Dodging checks and blocking in error… confusion on day one of enforcement
Starting this day, the five-day rotation also applied to the cars of visitors to public institutions and to cars using public parking lots run by local governments. The five-day rotation restricts driving by weekday based on the last digit of the license plate. Because this day was Wednesday, cars with license plates ending in 3 or 8 could not use public institution or public parking lots.
At about 9:05 a.m., at the Yeouido on-street public parking lot in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, quite a few vehicles violated the five-day rotation. Choi, a 62-year-old employee of the Yeongdeungpo Facilities Management Corporation, said, "It's the busiest time in Yeouido, so people don't pick up even if you call," and sent text messages one by one to the numbers written on the violating cars.
There were also scuffles during enforcement at the public parking lot of Seoul City Hall's main building. At about 9:08 a.m., when a truck for a rally tried to enter, security staff blocked it. The driver protested, saying, "It's a registered rally vehicle. Why can't it enter?" Staff explained it was "subject to the five-day rotation" and turned it away.
But the vehicle's last digit was 5, so it was not subject to that day's rotation. A Seoul City Hall official said, "Since it's the first day of implementation, there seems to have been a mistake in the on-site response."
Not all public parking lots are under the five-day rotation. Seoul said it would apply the five-day rotation to 75 public parking lots citywide, excluding 33 lots near traditional markets or in residential areas.
Parking is also unrestricted after operating hours end. At the Seoul City Hall main building's parking lot, entry and exit are allowed regardless of the five-day rotation from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Vehicles that purchased a monthly pass on or before the 2nd of this month are also excluded during the valid period. A Yeouido public parking lot official noted, "Recently, more users have been purchasing monthly passes in advance."
On site, some said car use had decreased. A public parking lot manager said, "We ran a two-day rotation when the fine dust was severe, but there are even fewer cars now than then."