Tobacco is an imported product that arrived by ship from Japan more than 430 years ago. During the Imjin War, Koreans began smoking one by one after seeing Japanese soldiers light up. The plant originated in the Americas, where indigenous peoples called it tobacco, a word the Portuguese transcribed as "tabaco." Korean commoners called it "dambagwi," while the literate class, familiar with Chinese characters, called it "yeoncho," "namcho," or "namryeongcho" because it produced smoke, or "waecho" because it came from Japan.
Joseon was a "tobacco paradise." Hendrick Hamel, a Dutchman detained in Joseon after his trading ship was wrecked in a storm in 1653, wrote: "Tobacco is so popular among Koreans that even small children smoke from the age of four or five." High-ranking officials at the royal court apparently smoked even in the presence of the king. When King Gwanghae, who disliked tobacco smoke, showed displeasure, officials began refraining from smoking before the monarch. Word spread among the common people, and this is the origin of the custom of not smoking in front of elders.
In 2024, 3.53 billion packs of cigarettes were sold in Korea. Tax revenue from tobacco alone reached 11.7 trillion won ($8.1 billion), nearly double the 5.954 trillion won operating profit Kia (000270.KS) posted last year. "Guilty pleasures" invariably come with consequences. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the socioeconomic cost of smoking reached 14.9517 trillion won in 2023, a sharp 8.8% increase from 2022. The related costs from lost productivity due to premature death and medical expenses far exceed the tax revenue collected from tobacco.
The British Parliament passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on Tuesday, which would permanently ban tobacco purchases for anyone born in or after 2009. Once it receives royal assent and is finalized, Britain will become one of the world's strictest anti-smoking regulators. The measure reflects a determination to legally enforce what individuals find difficult to achieve through willpower alone: quitting a product that offers nothing but harm. In Korean online communities, proponents arguing "we need to adopt this" are clashing with opponents who claim it "infringes on individual choice." We are curious what readers think.
