"Cigarette Prices in Korea Should Reach 10,000 Won, Only Half the Level of Major Countries, Experts Suggest"

Cigarette Prices at Half the Level of Major Countries
"Raise to 10,000 Won and Invest in Smoking Cessation Programs"

A smoking area in Seoul. Photo by Asia Economy DB

Experts have argued that cigarette prices should be raised to promote public health and further highlight the harmful effects of smoking. They insist that the price of cigarettes, currently at 4,500 won, should be increased to as much as 10,000 won, and that strong regulatory policies such as restrictions on cigarette advertising and product displays should be implemented.

On August 3, the latest issue of the Korean Society for Smoking Cessation journal published a study titled "Tobacco Control Policies the New Government Must Implement." The research team consisted of Professor Cho Hongjun from the Department of Family Medicine at Ulsan University College of Medicine, Seoul Asan Medical Center, and Lee Sungkyu, Director of the Korea Tobacco Control Research and Education Center.

They proposed seven key policies to the government: increasing cigarette prices and reinvesting tax revenue in regulatory activities, banning cigarette advertising and displays in retail stores, strictly enforcing a complete indoor smoking ban, introducing standardized packaging, enacting a comprehensive tobacco and nicotine product regulation law, effectively enforcing the Tobacco Harmful Substances Management Act, reversing budget cuts for smoking cessation, and expanding tailored support for vulnerable groups.

The background for these recommendations is that domestic tobacco control policies have made little progress in recent years. The current price of a pack of cigarettes is 4,500 won, which is less than half the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) average.

Accordingly, the researchers argued that cigarette prices should be raised to at least the OECD average of about 10,000 won, and that more than 50% of the additional revenue generated from this increase should be allocated to tobacco control and smoking cessation support programs.

They also emphasized the need to regulate advertising and displays of cigarettes in retail stores. On average, about 30 cigarette advertisements are installed per convenience store, and even in convenience stores located within designated school protection zones, the ban on cigarette advertising is not being properly enforced.

The researchers stated, "Tobacco use remains a leading preventable cause of death in Korea, causing more than 60,000 premature deaths each year and worsening health inequalities. Korea ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005 and implemented major measures such as raising cigarette prices and introducing warning images in 2015, but tobacco control has since stagnated."