Private cars quota in South Korea

The Seoul government on 4 April 2026 has already restricted the use of private cars by civil servants and may soon do the same for those working in the private sector.

The plan is expected to be triggered if crude oil prices exceed USD 120 per barrel, putting the country - which imports about 70% of the crude it consumes from the Middle East - roughly where it was at the time of two other oil crises, those triggered in 1991 by the Gulf War and in 2011 by the Arab Springs.