A group of lung cancer patients who claimed long-time smoking was the cause of their illness have decided to take a “tobacco suit” to the Supreme Court after losing two previous legal battles.
The Seoul High Court said Wednesday that the plaintiffs comprised of six cancer patients and 25 family members filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, claiming that KT&G, the largest cigarette maker in South Korea, should be liable for compensating the patients.
On Feb. 15, the Seoul High Court upheld a lower court ruling that rejected the claims for compensation. But at the same time the court recognized the cause-and-effect relationship between smoking and lung cancer in line with the first verdict in a case filed against KT&G.
The dispute over whether the tobacco firm is responsible for compensating the patients dates back to 1999 when the six and their family members filed a damages suit against KT&G and the government, demanding a 307 million won ($274,000) settlement.