'Daerim-dong Illegal Cigarette Factory' Chinese Foreman Sentenced to 1 Year Imprisonment

Manufactured and Sold About 5,000 Cartons of Cigarettes

A man in his 40s from China, who operated an illegal cigarette factory in Daerim-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was sentenced to prison.

On the 12th, Judge Jang Min-seok of the Criminal Division 4 at the Seoul Southern District Court sentenced Ryu (43), who was indicted for violating the Tobacco Business Act, to one year in prison.

Judge Jang stated, "Considering the duration and scale of the crime, the nature of the offense is very serious," and added, "I took into account that the defendant is a foreigner of Chinese nationality and has no prior criminal record in Korea."

It is known that Ryu worked as a team leader at an unauthorized illegal cigarette factory in Daerim-dong for about a month starting from September last year, producing and selling approximately 5,000 cartons of cigarettes worth around 30 million won. According to Article 11 of the Tobacco Business Act, one must obtain permission from the Minister of Strategy and Finance to engage in cigarette manufacturing.