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Smoking in South Korea is similar to other developed countries in the OECD, with a daily smoking rate of 19.9% in 2013 compared to 20.9% in Germany and 19.3% in Japan. However, male smoking is among the highest at 36.2% while female smoking by far the lowest at 4.3%. The South Korean government aims to reduce the male smoking rate to the OECD average of 29% by 2020 by making the country one of the world's most difficult places to smoke, using a combination of significant price hikes, mandatory warning photos on cigarette packs, advertising bans, financial incentives and medical help for quitting along with a complete smoking ban in public places including all bars, restaurants and cafes.

South Korea enforced strict smoking bans in public places since July 2013, with fines of ₩100,000 won on any spotted smoker and up to ₩5 million won on shop owners not following the law. It is illegal  to smoke in all bars and restaurants, cafes, internet cafes, government buildings, kindergartens, schools, universities, hospitals, youth facilities, libraries, children's playgrounds, private academies, subway or train stations and their platforms and underground pathways, large buildings, theaters, department stores or shopping malls, large hotels and highway rest areas. The strict bans came into force gradually beginning with a ban on places larger than 150 square meters in 2012, extended to 100 square meters in 2014, with a full-fledged complete nationwide ban on 1 January 2015.

History
Smoking arrived in Korea through the introduction of tobacco in the early 1600s from Japan and quickly became a widespread and popular activity among the people regardless of gender, social class, and age. This was due to the appealing characteristics of tobacco in the socioeconomic context of Korea at that time. Namely, the favorable climate and soil for tobacco cultivation created a profitable economic sector, and smoking was thought to be a health-promoting behavior and framed as a social and cultural activity. Although smoking was common amongst all people, the quality of tobacco differed across the established classes of the hierarchical system.

Men and women both smoked until around 1880, when stigmas against women, especially young and middle-aged women, started to arise.

Historical background
1976: Tobacco Monopoly Act

1988: Tobacco Business Act

1995: National Health Promotion Act

2003: Signing of the WHO FCTC

2004: cigarette pack tax

2005: Ratification of the WHO FCTC; expansion of smoking cessation services in health centers nationwide

2006: Revision of the National Health Promotion Act with a greater emphasis on addressing the socioeconomic inequalities in smoking prevalence


 * Introduction of the National Quitline Service, which offers services 13 hours/day on weekdays, 9 hours/day on weekends, and free counseling sessions for registered users for one year
 * 3,368 (19%) of the 17,752 smokers who participated in at least one telephone counseling session did not smoke for 6 months after their designated quit date.

2010: local governments allowed to restrict outdoor smoking

2011: Some public places ban outdoor smoking

2015: National Health Insurance Service includes tobacco cessation consultation and cessation drug fees in its services nationwide