Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik on Wednesday urged companies to "review measures to stagger commuting hours based on voluntary corporate participation," citing worsening energy supply conditions caused by the war in the Middle East.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong conveyed the remarks through a written briefing on the senior secretaries' meeting chaired by the chief of staff. According to Ahn, Kang said that while the government and businesses are working together to stabilize energy supply in the wake of the Middle East situation, public participation is desperately needed to overcome the crisis. He called on all citizens to practice energy conservation.
"What matters just as much as efforts to secure energy is efficient usage," Kang stressed. "The public sector must take the lead in implementing rigorous conservation measures." He added that "the government and public institutions must fully implement all possible reduction measures, including a one-in-five vehicle restriction for passenger cars, turning off lights, and stricter heating and cooling standards." He also urged citizens to practice everyday conservation such as unplugging unused appliances and to expand the use of public transportation.
Kang also emphasized the role of the industrial sector, which accounts for a significant share of electricity consumption. "Preemptive responses such as improving manufacturing process efficiency and dispersing power demand are necessary," he said. He further asked companies to "review measures for voluntary staggering of commuting hours."
Separately, Kang pointed to the state of food hygiene management at unmanned stores near schools, noting that cases were found where basic management was lacking, including expired food being left unattended. "This is a problem that shows children's health rights are being left in an administrative blind spot. The core cause is that a significant number of unmanned stores fall outside the regulatory management scope, and their status is not even properly tracked," Kang said.
"There must not be even the slightest negligence or exception when it comes to food that children eat," Kang said. He instructed relevant ministries to "work with local governments to assess the status of unmanned stores and develop plans for intensive inspections on compliance with expiration dates and hygiene conditions." He also directed officials to "review and report on measures to shift enforcement from one-time crackdowns to a permanent oversight system, taking into account periods of surging usage such as the start of a new school semester."