By Kim Se-jeong
Starting next year, smoking will be banned in all restaurants, regardless of their size.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, smoking regulations will expand to cover the entire restaurant business starting Jan. 1, 2015. This will include coffee shops and bars known as "HOFs," and will result in all 68,000 restaurants across the country becoming smoking-free zones. The ministry added the same law will apply to all cyber cafes, and violators will be fined 100,000 won ($90).
"This is to enhance public health and the quality of lives for the people. This will also help us save on the cost of treating patients with smoking-related illnesses," said Kwon Hyung-won of the health and welfare ministry.
Currently, only 23,000 restaurants are subject to smoking regulations. They are larger than 100 square meters in size. Smoking is allowed in smaller restaurants, but only in sealed-off rooms. These rooms will no longer be acceptable from next year.
Small business owners are not happy about the new rules.
"Many of my customers are smokers who choose to come to my place because smoking is allowed. A smoking ban is good and I have nothing against it personally, but for my business, I am afraid of losing my customers," said the owner of a small restaurant in the Mapo district of Seoul.
Kwon said that singing rooms, along with billiard and screen-golf facilities will be the next target for the ministry. Smoking is currently permitted in such places. "These are public places in which there are always people coming and going, and one smoking person can endanger many others' health."
More than 42 percent of adult males smoke in Korea.
Starting next year, smoking will be banned in all restaurants, regardless of their size.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, smoking regulations will expand to cover the entire restaurant business starting Jan. 1, 2015. This will include coffee shops and bars known as "HOFs," and will result in all 68,000 restaurants across the country becoming smoking-free zones. The ministry added the same law will apply to all cyber cafes, and violators will be fined 100,000 won ($90).
"This is to enhance public health and the quality of lives for the people. This will also help us save on the cost of treating patients with smoking-related illnesses," said Kwon Hyung-won of the health and welfare ministry.
Currently, only 23,000 restaurants are subject to smoking regulations. They are larger than 100 square meters in size. Smoking is allowed in smaller restaurants, but only in sealed-off rooms. These rooms will no longer be acceptable from next year.
Small business owners are not happy about the new rules.
"Many of my customers are smokers who choose to come to my place because smoking is allowed. A smoking ban is good and I have nothing against it personally, but for my business, I am afraid of losing my customers," said the owner of a small restaurant in the Mapo district of Seoul.
Kwon said that singing rooms, along with billiard and screen-golf facilities will be the next target for the ministry. Smoking is currently permitted in such places. "These are public places in which there are always people coming and going, and one smoking person can endanger many others' health."
More than 42 percent of adult males smoke in Korea.
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