"Turn off the TV at 9 p.m. and switch off one more light."
In the midst of the 1973 oil shock, when crude prices quadrupled in a single year, the entire nation tightened its belt and saved electricity. Neon signs across downtown Seoul, including Myeongdong and Chungmuro, were turned off all at once, and schools entered an unprecedentedly long winter break. Thanks to this intense effort, Korea overcame the energy crisis.
More than 50 years later, we stand before a crisis strikingly similar to that one. As the war between the United States and Iran drags on, the Strait of Hormuz, through which an average of 20 million barrels of crude oil pass daily, has been blocked for more than two months. The International Energy Agency (IEA) released 400 million barrels of emergency stockpiles, the largest ever, to contain the situation, but it was not enough to calm market anxieties.
As the crisis deepens, major countries are going all-in not merely on diversifying energy import sources but on reducing their dependence on foreign supplies. The European Union has raised the "Made in Europe" banner and is realigning its policies around energy security, while Japan is accelerating efforts to reduce fossil fuel imports through its Green Transformation (GX) initiative. Korea, too, announced its "Energy Transition Promotion Plan" in April and is working to fundamentally reshape an energy structure vulnerable to external shocks.
Although we face an energy crisis similar to the one 50 years ago, the way we respond has evolved. Unlike the past, when people had to endure inconvenience under forced reductions in electricity use, the approach has shifted to offering economic benefits to those who practice energy conservation, encouraging voluntary participation.
The integrated energy conservation platform "Smart Electricity Life," launched by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) in March, marks the beginning of that change. It brings together various energy-saving methods and 39 support programs previously scattered across multiple agencies, helping anyone make rational energy choices. In particular, the "Residential Energy Cashback" program offers larger bill discounts the more electricity customers save. Unlike the past, when saving meant simply cutting back, conservation now translates into smart consumption that delivers tangible economic gains.
Energy conservation on industrial sites has also changed significantly. Large facilities that consume heavy amounts of electricity can install "maximum power management devices" with KEPCO's support, easing cost burdens and enabling self-regulation of power usage. Small business owners and root industry companies are also participating in energy upgrades by replacing outdated equipment with high-efficiency devices through KEPCO's support.
At first glance, it may seem counterintuitive for a power company, which must generate profits, to actively help customers use less electricity. But from a broader perspective, that is not the case. The aggregated reduction in demand translates into savings equivalent to not having to build new power plants and massive transmission towers worth trillions of won. On top of that, it reduces fuel imports and strengthens energy security, delivering national benefits as well.
If conservation in the past meant pain and endurance under forced blackouts, today's conservation has grown into a "smart innovation" in which energy is consumed rationally and benefits everyone. Just as the dedication of those who willingly endured inconvenience half a century ago shaped the Korea we know today, it is now our turn to wisely overcome the present crisis through an approach that has evolved to a new dimension.
