Sejong , March 27 ( Yonhap) - South Korea will take part this weekend in a global campaign off light by the Earth, the government said Thursday , calling for the active participation of citizens in the event .
The Environment Ministry said about 70,000 public and private buildings and 300 households turned off their lights for one hour starting at 8:30 pm Saturday as part of the " Earth Hour " this year to be held in conjunction with the South Korean branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF, according to its acronym in English ) .
" You can save the economy , the environment and the earth all at once , turning off unnecessary lights in their daily lives ," the ministry said in a press release .
Spotlight on 450 landmarks around the country, including the Torre N and bridges of the Hangang river in Seoul , also will go for an hour , the ministry said .
The campaign " Earth Hour " organized by WWF, started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia . About 7,000 cities in 150 countries around the world are currently taking part in the annual event , held the last Saturday of every March .
The ministry said the country could cut 5 million tonnes of emissions of greenhouse gases if the 49 million South Koreans, making up the total population of the country turn off a light in their homes for one hour during the campaign.
