New Health Warning Labels on Cigarette Packs to Launch in South Korea

Starting tomorrow, December 23, new health warning labels and images will be featured on cigarette packaging in South Korea, including phrases like 'The Path to Lung Cancer' and 'The Path to Blindness.' This change follows a significant increase in the severity of warning labels decided in June through a regulatory amendment.

The standard cigarette packs will now include a total of 10 warning images, with the number of disease-related images rising from 5 to 7. Two new images addressing eye diseases and peripheral vascular diseases have been added, while two images that were not directly related to specific diseases, such as smoking during pregnancy and premature death, have been removed.

The warning phrases have also shifted from single-word expressions to full sentences. For instance, 'Lung Cancer' has been changed to 'The Path to Lung Cancer.' The Ministry of Health and Welfare explained that this change aims to metaphorically express the health risks and diseases caused by smoking.

For both combustible and e-cigarettes, the number of image themes will increase from 1 to 2, while the existing warning about 'Nicotine Addiction, Exposure to Carcinogens' will remain unchanged. The newly updated warning images and phrases will be in effect for the next two years.

These warning labels are part of a tobacco regulation policy designed to encourage smokers to quit and prevent non-smokers from starting by depicting images of health issues caused by smoking. South Korea implemented its smoking warning image policy in December 2016, with the Ministry of Health and Welfare updating the warning images and phrases every two years.