Lee shared an article on X, formerly Twitter, titled “A sweet addiction stronger than drugs; 80% support introducing a sugar tax,” and asked for public input. “Like tobacco, what about curbing sugar use with a sugar levy and reinvesting the revenue to strengthen local and public health care?” he wrote.
A sugar tax is an additional tax on foods and drinks with added sugar. The article said more than 120 countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have adopted such taxes. The World Health Organization recommended in 2016 that member states consider a sugar tax, citing research linking sugar intake to higher risks of obesity, some cancers and cardiovascular disease. The U.K. taxes soft drinks based on sugar content at 0.18 to 0.24 pounds per liter.
Supporters say a sugar tax can improve health. The article cited research in the United States finding that taxing soft drinks was linked to lower body mass index. Fabrice Etilé, a professor at the Paris School of Economics, estimated that a 10% increase in soft drink prices would reduce obesity rates by 3.9%.
Critics warn it could fuel inflation, especially as a weak currency has already pushed up raw material costs. Denmark introduced a similar “fat tax” in 2011 but repealed it the next year, citing rising prices and a shrinking food industry, the article said.
Public opinion appears favorable. A survey of 1,030 people conducted from Jan. 12-19 by Seoul National University’s Health Culture Project Group found 80.1% supported introducing a sugar tax. The article attributed the result to heightened health awareness, including the popularity of “zero” sugar drinks and foods.
Yu Ho Rim, a professor at Kangnam University’s Graduate School of Taxation who wrote a paper titled “Analysis of Overseas Research Trends on Health Taxes (Sugar Tax) and Policy Implications,” suggested an alternative approach. “Rather than an indirect tax on consumers, there could be a way to impose a health tax as a direct tax on suppliers,” Yu said, adding that increasing suppliers’ tax burden could help curb production of foods considered harmful to health.
Yu also said higher cigarette prices have, in part, contributed to lower smoking rates, and that “based on scientific analysis and social consensus,” policymakers could consider whether to apply the tax to sugar substitutes as well.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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