Smokers crowd into Korea’s last smoking refuges

Since the extension on January 1 of South Korea’s tobacco smoking ban to include all bars, restaurants, coffee shops and Internet cafés, smokers have been flocking to the only places where they can still smoke: small-scale indoor sports venues, The Korea Times has reported.

There are about 15,000 billiard halls and 7,000 screen golf venues across the country, according to health ministry figures, but a ministry official warned that there were mounting calls for the ban to reach out and include these venues by 2016.

In a billiard hall in Sinchon, Seoul, a smoker surnamed Ha, 38, was said to have told the Times that the smoking ban had forced him to go there.

“Now, it looks like this is the only place where I can smoke and hang out with friends,” Ha said.

“This place is crowded. I saw a couple of groups leaving because the room is too full.”