"Prices Drop Tomorrow, So Please Fill Up Just a Little"…Gas Station Owner's 'Conscience Notice'

A Self-Service Gas Station in Jeongeup Announces Price Reduction
"An Honest Owner" Praised by Netizens

As gasoline and diesel prices at gas stations nationwide continue to decline, one gas station has attracted attention online for practicing 'conscientious business' by advising customers to refuel minimally in anticipation of further price drops.

On the 2nd, an online community, Bobae Dream, featured a post titled "A Gas Station I Want to Be a Regular Customer At." Netizen A, who visited a self-service gas station in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, shared a photo of a notice attached to the fuel pump. The notice read, "Starting tomorrow, gasoline prices are expected to drop significantly, so please refuel minimally." A added, "This photo was taken on the 1st. I'm not posting this to attract attention, but it actually happened."

Amid falling gasoline and diesel prices at gas stations nationwide, one gas station has sparked online attention for practicing "conscientious business" by advising customers to refuel minimally in consideration of the expected price drop.
[Photo by online community 'Bobae Dream']

The post by A garnered over 140,000 views within a day and about 170 comments, becoming a hot topic. Netizens responded with comments such as "Amazing," "Conscientious gas station," and "I would use this place often." One commenter shared, "My father ran a gas station in the 1990s and operated in a similar way."

The average retail prices of gasoline and diesel at domestic gas stations have been declining for five consecutive weeks. According to the Korea National Oil Corporation's oil price information service, OPINET, the average gasoline price nationwide in the fourth week of August was 1,672.5 KRW per liter, down 16.4 KRW from the previous week. Diesel prices also fell by 16.4 KRW to 1,510.2 KRW per liter compared to the previous week. By region, Seoul, which had the highest prices, dropped 17.2 KRW to 1,732.3 KRW, while Daegu, with the lowest prices, decreased by 21.5 KRW to 1,637.6 KRW. The cheapest brand was Altteul Gas Station, with an average price of 1,646.4 KRW per liter.

International gasoline prices rose by 1.0 USD to 84.2 USD, and international automotive diesel increased by 0.4 USD to 90.6 USD. Changes in international oil prices are typically reflected in domestic gas station prices with a lag of about 2 to 3 weeks. Regarding this, a representative from the Korea Petroleum Association stated on the 31st of last month, "Although international oil prices rose slightly this week, the decline until last week was greater, and the won/dollar exchange rate remains weak, so domestic gasoline and diesel prices are expected to continue their downward trend next week."