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The number of cigarette packs commercially marketed in South Korea for the first quarter reached 519 million, down 44.2 percent from the same period of last year, government data showed Monday.
The fall came after the government raised tobacco prices effective Jan. 1, 2015 from an average of 2,500 won per pack to 4,500 won in an effort to cut the nation's smoking rate.
In addition, people who signed up for anti-smoking campaigns rose 2.7-fold to 280,000 on-year in the January-March period, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The health ministry plans to implement anti-smoking policies, such as expanding smoke-free zones and making it mandatory for cigarette makers to attach stronger health warning messages and graphics on cigarette packs, at an early date, in addition to the cigarette price hike, officials said.
The ministry will also expand its "tailor-made" anti-smoking services, they said.
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