By Kim Jae-won
An employee of Asiana Airlines was fired earlier this month for smoking on the rooftop of its Gwanghwamun office building in downtown Seoul.
The nation’s second-largest carrier has implemented strict anti-smoking rules since 1991, banning its employees and executives from smoking in their aircrafts and offices.
“An executive saw the employee smoke at the building, and raised the issue at the disciplinary committee. We gave him sufficient time to search for a job at other firms,” said a spokesman of Asiana.
Asiana declined to disclose the employee’s identity, only saying he worked for about two years for the company.
The airline is one of the toughest workplaces for smokers. Its employees are obliged to sign a no-smoking pledge and smokers get disadvantages in their evaluations for promotion.
Asiana is one of many companies and institutions which have strict no-smoking policies.
The announcement came one day after the Air Force decided to disqualify smokers from applying for its pilot selection test, drawing controversy over its legality and fairness. According to the Air Force, applicants who test positive for nicotine will not be eligible for flight training, a mandatory course to become a pilot, from next month.
Some other top conglomerates are also imposing bans on smoking in their offices.
According to a 2011 Sustainable Management Report of Samsung Electronics, the information technology giant designated all of its local workplaces as “no-smoking zone.” POSCO Group has also encouraged its employees to quit smoking as part of its health improvement programs.