“I haven’t even considered” Jeong Sye-gyun in the controversy over’tobacco price hike’

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun gives thanks for the New Year at the New Year’s Meeting, a small and medium-sized company, held at the Yeouido Small and Medium Business Federation in Seoul on the afternoon of January 19. [국회사진기자단]

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun began to evolve as the controversy began after the government’s plan to increase the prices of cigarettes and alcohol was reported in the media.

Prime Minister Chung said on his Facebook page on the 28th, “There was a report yesterday that the government is pushing ahead with a plan to raise the price of cigarettes to 8,000 won and to impose a health promotion charge for alcohol. This is not true.” The current government has not considered the imposition of the health promotion fee for alcohol and has no plans to promote it,” he wrote.

He said, “Cigarettes and alcohol are items consumed by many citizens and require sufficient research and review in various aspects such as price issues, and cannot be promoted in a short period of time as issues that require careful social discussion.”

Prime Minister Jung said, “I am sorry that the reports continue to spread despite the official response from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and are confusing to the public,” and said, “I will once again clearly state the government’s official position on this.”

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun’s Facebook. [페이스북 캡처]

Earlier, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the ‘5th Comprehensive National Health Promotion Plan’ (2021-2030). This includes the content of raising the cigarette price, which is about 4500 won per pack, to the level of 7 dollars (about 7738 won) within the next 10 years. He said the goal is to reduce the smoking rate of adult males from 36.7% in 2018 to 25% by 2030.

However, as the government’s plans provoked rebellion, Isran, head of the Health Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, explained, “We have not yet decided on the extent and timing of the tobacco price increase.

Reporter Oh Won-seok [email protected]