Tobacco Smoking in South Korea

In South Korea, smoking culture has seen significant changes in the past decades. Smoking indoors and in public areas have been banned, and the overall prevalence of smoking for both men and women has decreased. However, there is still a high prevalence of tobacco use, particularly with the rise of novel tobacco products like e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn tobacco products. According to estimates from 2016, the current cigarette smoking rate among people aged 15 years and older was approximately 21.5% overall - 37.9% for men and 5.6% for women. Tobacco use is responsible for more than 46,700 deaths in the country every year, making it the number one risk factor driving both death and disability in South Korea.

Furthermore, in recent years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of smoking among adolescents and young female adults from 1980 to 2014. In 2016, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adolescent males was 9.6%, while the prevalence among Korean adolescent females was 2.7%.

Despite the efforts made to reduce smoking in the country, the Korean tobacco industry remains strong, and many Koreans are loyal to Korean cigarettes. According to a report by The Korea Herald, this loyalty is due in part to the unique flavors and packaging of Korean cigarettes.

History

Tobacco was first introduced into South Korea in the early 1600s from Japan after the Imjin War. Initially, tobacco was used as a medicine and was expensive, which motivated some to attempt to profit from it, often by illegal means.

While on a diplomatic mission to China in March 1643, one Korean diplomat was apprehended by the Chinese authorities for smuggling a cartload of tobacco.

As more and more farmers cultivated tobacco, the price of the drug dropped, making it even more affordable and further increasing its usage.

Within a couple of decades, smoking tobacco had grown so popular that Henrik Hamel, a Dutch sailor shipwrecked on Jeju Island, observed that. One finds few people who do not smoke even by children of 4 or 5 years old, and among men as well as among women.

Prior to the twentieth century, most Koreans smoked tobacco using pipes. These pipes came in a variety of styles and length depending on one’s social station. For the upper class, the pipes were made with silver, gold, jade and other precious materials and were generally two or four feet long.

Why Korean Smoke?

Koreans are always under pressure from society, schools, and the workplace; everyone has some type of stress. Interestingly, Koreans tend to learn how to smoke to relieve their stress. It's very common to spot office workers smoking in the smoking area during their lunchtime.

One of the reasons why the smoking rate of Korean men overwhelmingly high is due to the conscription system. Having a chat with the members of the same unit during smoking used to be considered as one of the most important communications in the military. Moreover, until the end of 2008, the military offered a tax-free system to purchase designated cigarettes, so it was much more common for the soldiers to start smoking during their military service.

Another reason for Koreans to start smoking is from peer pressure and their curiosity. Peer pressure makes the teens feel excluded from the friend group from avoiding smoking. Once they start smoking from their younger age, it gets even harder for them to quit their smoking habit once they grow up.

Smoking Etiquette

Local smoking etiquette in South Korea is influenced by Confucianism. For instance, smokers generally refrain from or seek permission before lighting up in the presence of social superiors; a social superior could be a boss, professor, parent, grandparent, or teacher.

Anti-Tobacco Laws

South Korea has implemented several tobacco control policies to decrease smoking rates, including imposing taxes on e-cigarettes, banning smoking in public areas, and banning indication of flavorings on tobacco packaging or advertisement.

Since 1986, the warning texts on the cigarette box have been legally obligated. Also, the Korean government introduced a "photo warning display" that puts images that reminds the smokers of following diseases that can be caused by smoking.

Since 2002, in consideration of the effect on the minors, the broadcasting station started to self-regulate the smoking scenes on TV. Nowadays, you won't be able to spot smoking scenes from Korean dramas. Sometimes, the actors grab a cigarette from the cigarette pack but never start smoking. Since the government's laws and regulations have been reinforced, it is hard for the producers to include any smoking scenes.

Nationwide Policy

Smoking is illegal and strictly prohibited in the following premises:

· Office, multi-use or factory buildings larger than 1,000 square meters in floor area (of which offices, conference rooms, auditorium and lobby must be smoke-free).

· Institutions larger than 1,000 square meters in floor area (of which classrooms, waiting rooms and lounges must be smoke-free).

· Shopping malls, department stores and underground malls (of which any shop selling goods must be smoke-free).

· Hotels and resorts (of which the lobby must be smoke-free).

· Universities (of which lecture rooms, lounges, auditoria, cafeteria and conference hall must be smoke-free).

· Indoor sports facilities such as basketball and volleyball courts which can seat more than 1,000 people (of which the seats and pathways must be smoke-free).

· Social welfare facilities (of which the living and working rooms, lounge, cafeteria and conference hall must be smoke-free).

· Airports, bus terminals and train stations (of which waiting rooms, domestic flights, cabins, inside trains, subway car and its platform and underground stations and underground pathways must be smoke-free).

· Any vehicle that can seat more than 16 people.

· Public baths (of which changing rooms and bathing rooms must be smoke-free).

· Game arcades, comic book renting shops and internet cafes.

· Bars, restaurants, cafes, fast food restaurants and bakeries, regardless of size.

· Baseball or football/soccer stadiums which can seat more than 1,000 people (of which the seats and pathways must be smoke-free).

· Kindergartens, primary and secondary schools.

· Hospitals and health centers.

· Nurseries.

· Taxis.

Sources and Additional Information:

https://10mag.com/how-tobacco-was-introduced-to-korea-throughout-history/

https://www.creatrip.com/en/blog/7631