By Kim Bo-eun

Seoul City will switch off lights across the city Wednesday night as part of a campaign to conserve electricity on “Energy Day.”

The city said Monday that it has requested some 630,000 public facilities, households and company buildings to voluntarily turn off their lights for 5 minutes from 9 p.m. that day. For public buildings and households, the lights-out time will be extended to 30 minutes.

Other efforts to save energy include switching off air conditioners for 20 minutes from 2 p.m. — the peak time for energy consumption — and raising the temperature settings of air conditioners by 2 degrees Celsius for an hour afterward.

During the time that the lights are turned off, citizens will be able to observe the night sky through some 30 telescopes which the city will set up at Seoul Plaza.

Researchers from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute and members of the Korean Amateur Astronomical Society will be on hand to explain the constellations.

“We will try to provide a platform through which citizens will be able to participate not only in saving energy but also in producing new renewable energy,” said a city official.

Following Aug. 22, 2003 when Korea’s energy consumption hit its highest point, it was designated “Energy Day” by the Korea NGO’s Energy Network.

Since 2004, the nation has commemorated the day by making various efforts to conserve energy.