Cigarette sales down 1.9 pct through Oct. on campaign, higher prices

SEJONG, Nov. 26 (Yonhap) -- Sales of cigarettes in South Korea declined 1.9 percent in the first nine months of 2018 from a year earlier due to a government-led anti-smoking campaign and higher prices, data showed Monday.

South Korean smokers purchased 2.9 billion 20-cigarette packs in the January-October period, compared with the previous year's 2.95 billion, according to data compiled by the finance ministry.

Starting in January 2015, South Korea increased the price of cigarettes by 80 percent, from 2,500 won (US$2.25) per pack to 4,500 won, in an effort to curb smoking.

In 2016, South Korea mandated that tobacco companies put graphic warnings on the upper part of both sides of cigarette packs in a move to reduce smoking.

Meanwhile, the government collected a total of 9.7 trillion won in taxes from cigarette sales through October, up 2.6 percent from the previous year's 9.5 trillion won, the latest data showed.

sam@yna.co.kr
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