The 'extra-good' gas station: How a late official's idea was revived — and made President Lee laugh

The "chakan-di chakan juyu-so," or "extra-good gas station" — a designation that drew laughter from President Lee Jae Myung when he heard the name at a Cabinet meeting — will see its first recipients officially announced Monday.

The quirky name has drawn considerable attention in government circles, prompting questions about its origins. The story traces back to the late Lee Yong-hwan, a director at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy who died in November 2021.

According to the ministry, the Energy and Oil Monitoring Corps selected two "extra-good gas stations" on Friday and will formally announce them Monday.

The "extra-good gas station" designation goes to stations that have appeared on the "good gas station" list — stations that proactively cut their prices in line with the government's maximum petroleum price policy — at least five times.

Since April 10, following the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, the Energy and Oil Monitoring Corps has conducted daily checks on fuel prices at gas stations across all 17 cities and provinces, designating stations that preemptively lower their prices as "good gas stations" every two weeks. Stations that earn the designation five times — meaning they have maintained lower prices for 10 or more weeks — receive the "extra-good gas station" title.

The "extra-good gas station" name was the idea of Nam Gyeong-mo, a policy aide to the minister at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Nam, who passed the civil service exam in the 45th cohort, was assigned to the ministry's Middle East War Situation Center in March, drawing on his earlier experience in the petroleum industry division.

Nam previously served as head of the industrial policy division, where he earned recognition as the key official who prepared the ministry's presidential briefing materials in December last year. Known for sharp situational judgment and incisive analysis, he has held senior posts across industry and energy — including head of the corporate policy team, head of the automotive division, and head of the power promotion division, which oversees market policies on power sector restructuring and electricity rates. That track record has made him a go-to crisis-management official at the working level.

As head of the automotive division, he unveiled the "Global Top 3 Strategy for the Automotive Industry," aimed at supporting a swift and flexible transition to future mobility. As head of the industrial policy division, he put forward strategies for advanced industries, including the "National Advanced Industry Development Strategy" and "New Industrial Policy 2.0."

The original "good gas station" program was the creation of the late Lee Yong-hwan, who served as a commercial attaché to Japan with the rank of director. Lee conceived the program in February 2015 while serving as head of the petroleum industry division, partnering with the Energy and Oil Market Monitoring Corps — a consumer advocacy organization — to identify gas stations offering consumers high-quality fuel at the lowest prices. At the time, the designation went to the station that sold genuine gasoline at the cheapest price over a one-month period.

Lee, who passed the civil service exam in the 39th cohort, was regarded as an elite official with broad expertise across industry, energy and trade — having served as head of both the gas industry division and the petroleum industry division, the two pillars of energy policy, as well as energy policy director and new trade order cooperation director. Colleagues and superiors alike considered him a future vice minister at minimum, praising not only his ability but the deep trust he commanded internally. He died while serving as commercial attaché to Japan in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The revival of the 'good gas station' program amid the Middle East conflict brings back memories of the late Director Lee Yong-hwan," a ministry official said. "It was because the 'good gas station' existed that the 'extra-good gas station' could come about."