South Korean Updates: Save energy and raise productivity with Coolmaepsi (27 Jun 2013)

Save energy and raise productivity with Coolmaepsi
webmaster
2013.06.27

The Ministry of Environment (MOE) takes the lead in cooling the workplace for the workers who have sweated to attend meetings or events in the scorching heat. 

MOE called upon the ministries, local governments and public institutions to inform the workers of a ‘Coolmaepsi*dress code’ for meetings and events held in summer.

*Coolmaepsi: a combination of ‘cool’ and the Korean word ‘maepsi’ meaning ‘style’

The ‘Coolmaepsi dress code’ is a compound word of ‘coolmapesi’ referring to casual, light clothing such as short-sleeves shirt, knee-length skirts and ‘dress code,’ the rules about what kind of clothes people are allowed to wear for time, place and occasion

Nowadays workers are advised to dress lightly and casually amid a battle against electricity, but still the many have to dress heavily in formal occasions.

MOE launched a campaign to spread ‘Coolmaepsi dress code’ to enable air conditioners to be turned down and enhance efficiency of meeting in a fresh place. MOE expects that a prior notice of ‘Coolmaepsi dress code’ will lead to saving air conditioning electricity and cutting greenhouse gas emissions as well as relieving the workers’ concern over clothing.

The ministry is encouraging nationwide practice of ‘Coolmaepsi’ clothing and providing coordination guideline. Meanwhile, MOE has pointed out that some institutions still use the word ‘Cool-biz’ originated from Japan, which generates confusion over the use of term and reduces the effect of coolmaepsi campaign.

Accordingly, MOE requested the use of term ‘Coolmaepsi’ which was selected through the public contest in 2009 so as to reinvigorate the ‘dress casual & light campaign.’

Source: 

http://eng.me.go.kr/board.do?method=view&docSeq=11525&bbsCode=new_news&currentPage=1&searchType=&searchText=&categoryCode=