South Korean health policy experts called for raising the price of a pack of cigarettes from 4,500 won ($3.10) to 8,500 won ($5.90), to reduce smoking rates and increase tobacco tax revenue. The proposal was presented Nov. 10 at a forum hosted by the National Academy of Medicine of Korea and the Korea Medical and Bio Reporters Association in Seoul. Park Eun-chul, the academy’s vice president for health policy, said that cigarette prices have remained unchanged since 2015, and the current price ranks low among OECD countries, even after adjusting for purchasing power.
Park estimated that the increase would reduce cigarette sales volume by 35.6%, lower the adult smoking rate from 17% to 14%, and generate an additional 2.76 trillion won ($1.9 billion) in annual tobacco-related tax revenue.
Experts also called for broader regulation of tobacco and electronic inhalable products. Lee Sung-kyu, head of the Korea Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, said imports of nicotine-free e-liquids during the first eight months of 2026 exceeded twice the total for all of 2025, following a decline in synthetic nicotine liquid imports after amendments to the Tobacco Business Act. He also noted that nicotine pouches from companies including KT&G and Philip Morris Korea are awaiting entry into the domestic market. Park called for replacing the existing law with a broader framework covering tobacco and electronic inhalable products.
