South Korea’s health and welfare minister said policymakers will look at a broader set of anti-smoking measures rather than relying only on cigarette price increases. Photo credit: Rivaldi Jovanka, Pexels.
South Korea's health and welfare minister has signaled a broader review of the country's tobacco-control strategy, citing stagnant smoking rates, the growth of alternative nicotine products, and cigarette prices that remain well below those in many OECD countries.
Speaking at a recent press briefing, health and welfare minister Jung Eun-kyeong said authorities need to strengthen their response as "new forms of tobacco such as e-cigarettes, flavored cigarettes, and synthetic nicotine products are spreading."
"While the smoking rate is generally declining, it has recently been fluctuating up and down," Jung said. "This is a situation where we must respond by mobilizing both price and non-price policies."
She added that the government needs to develop anti-smoking measures that reflect changes in the market and regulatory environment.
Jung's comments marked a notable shift from March, when she said the government was not considering a cigarette price increase. Her latest remarks have renewed speculation about potential tax or pricing measures, although she stopped short of announcing any immediate plans.
Referring to the World Health Organization's assessment of tobacco control policies, Jung said South Korea performs relatively well overall but faces shortcomings in several areas.
"Korea's anti-smoking policy is being operated relatively well, but there are weak aspects when it comes to regulating tobacco advertising and promotion at convenience stores," she said. "There is also the matter of cigarette prices being low compared with the OECD level."
A pack of cigarettes currently sells for KRW4,500 (US$3.28) in South Korea. Prices have remained unchanged since 2015, when the government increased the retail price from KRW2,500 (US$1.82) to KRW4,500. By comparison, cigarette prices reach about KRW41,000 (US$29.89) in Australia and about KRW32,000 (US$23.33) in New Zealand, according to figures cited during the briefing.
The issue also appears in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Sixth National Health Promotion Comprehensive Plan for 2026-2030, released in March. The plan includes a proposal to review increases in the National Health Promotion Charge on tobacco products with the goal of bringing cigarette prices closer to the OECD average of KRW9,869 (US$7.19) per pack.
However, Jung emphasized that the proposal remains under review and does not represent an active government policy.
"The National Health Promotion Comprehensive Plan includes content on reviewing an increase in the health promotion charge, but it has not yet been reviewed as a concrete policy," she said. "The government is not currently pursuing a cigarette price increase or the imposition of a health charge on alcohol. It is a mid- to long-term policy direction in the 10-year plan already announced in 2021. It is not newly added content this time."
She also stressed that policymakers would consider a wider range of measures rather than focusing solely on price increases.
"Because non-price policies are also important, not just price policies, we will review it together in the process of newly preparing anti-smoking policies suited to the changed environment," Jung said.
The minister acknowledged that any increase in tobacco-related charges could affect consumers and said authorities would need to gather public and stakeholder input before pursuing such measures.
The discussion comes as the WHO continues to encourage governments to use taxation as a tobacco-control tool. Through its "3 by 35" initiative launched last year, the organization called on countries to increase the real prices of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks by at least 50%.