Nearly one thousand gas stations across the country have shut down over the past six and a half years, reflecting a steady contraction in the industry.

According to data from the Korea National Oil Corporation's price information system, Opinet, released Sunday, the number of gas stations nationwide fell from eleven-thousand-499 in 2019 to ten-thousand-528 as of the end of June 2025, a decline of 971 stations, or eight-point-four percent.

This translates to the closure of one gas station every two to three days during the period.

The number of gas stations peaked in 2010 at just over 13-thousand and has been on a steady decline for 15 consecutive years, indicating a structural downturn in the sector.

At the current rate, the total number of stations is projected to fall below ten thousand within the next three to four years.

The closures are largely attributed to worsening profitability, with operating profit margins plummeting from 17-point-eight percent in 1991 and eleven-point-five percent in 2001 to just one-point-seven percent in 2023.