High oil prices pose quandary for South Korea

摘要

Seoul-South Korea,the world's fourth-largest oil importer,struggling to cope with record high oil prices,is trying to balance a policy of energy conservation to reduce the country's oil consumption against the damage such measures might have on an already sagging economy.South Korea imports almost all of its crude requirements,some 80% of which comes from the volatile Middle East.South Korea's Minister of Commerce,Industry and Energy,Lee Hee-Beom,said Aug 17 the government would wait before seeking mandatory energy-saving measures for fear this may hurt private consumers.