South Korean President Dons Thermal Underwear To Save Electricity
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South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will be donning thermal underwear over the winter period, in an attempt to persuade his citizens to make some sacrifices in order to conserve electricity amid surging power demands in the country.
[quote]“Naturally, I had to wear warmer underwear which was uncomfortable initially. But after a while, I got used to it, and now I am very warm and comfortable wearing it,” said Lee in his fortnightly national radio address on Monday.[/quote]
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will be donning thermal underwear over the winter period, in an attempt to persuade his citizens to make some sacrifices in order to conserve electricity amid surging power demands in the country.
[quote]“Naturally, I had to wear warmer underwear which was uncomfortable initially. But after a while, I got used to it, and now I am very warm and comfortable wearing it,” said Lee in his fortnightly national radio address on Monday.[/quote]The 70-year old President added that the country was now facing an uphill battle to meet fast-rising electricity demand, which may result in a power shortage over the cold winter period unless citizens did their bid to conserve electricity.
[quote]”Cooperation of all citizens is essential,” he said, stressing that electricity issues should be “dealt with in the context of crisis management by all citizens in an urgent and serious manner.”[/quote]Electricity supply has emerged as a major concern in the country after unseasonably high temperatures in September caused massive power outages that affected more than 6 million homes across South Korea.
The South Korean government has since constructed additional power plants and imposed new power-saving regulations, though it is hopeful that its citizens can also play their part by cutting down on their energy consumption.
[quote]“We can save energy beyond our expectations if we lower the temperature in houses and offices a little, turn off unnecessary lights during the night and use high-efficiency electric appliances,” said Lee, as quoted by the Yonhap News Agency. “I urge businesses, civic organizations and the general public to participate in this campaign voluntarily.”[/quote]President Lee’s call is reminiscent to a similar call made by former US President Jimmy Carter in 1977, when he asked Americans to turn their thermostats down in order to conserve fuel supplies that had been depleted after a cold winter.
Lee, who has been nicknamed the “bulldozer” for his no-nonsense attitude, told Koreans that a power failure for just several hours during winter would cause damage of “unimaginable proportions,” particularly since the country’s power reserves had yet to fully recover from the September blackouts.
