▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during an emergency economic review meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on April 1, 2026. (Yonhap)

Lee-public transportation

Lee urges public transportation control measures

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung has called on the government to prepare traffic control measures during commuting hours as part of energy-saving steps amid the war in the Middle East, a senior official said Thursday.

A senior presidential official told reporters that Lee instructed the transportation ministry to take the lead on such measures, including potential adjustments to free public transportation use for seniors aged 65 and older during peak hours.

The government plans to tighten a five-day vehicle rationing system in the public sector to a two-day rotation next week, while encouraging voluntary participation from the private sector and promoting the use of public transportation.

Lee has previously proposed limiting free transit access for seniors during peak hours if measures such as a license plate-based vehicle rotation system are expanded, in order to reduce congestion on public transportation.

The instruction came after reports of confusion over whether the transport, welfare or environment ministry should oversee the issue.

The government raised its resource security crisis warning by one notch to Level 3 as of Thursday, citing potential disruptions in crude oil supply as the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, is effectively closed amid the U.S. war on Iran.

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