A controversy has arisen over Korea's tobacco producer KT&G's promotion of its sales overseas.
The company said in a press release Friday it made a record sale of 48.7 billion cigarettes overseas, a 4.7 percent rise from a year earlier. Sales amounted to $812 million, which is a record high for its second consecutive year.
The rise in sales is attributed to new markets in Asia, Africa and Central and South America, in addition to its main markets in the Middle East and Russia.
Starting with Turkey in 2008, the company established overseas factories in Iran and Russia as well. In 2011, it acquired a tobacco firm based in Indonesia.
Its main brand "Esse" accounts for more than half of total overseas cigarette sales.
In regards to the company's performance, some say it is doing a good job in making inroads into new overseas markets amid the strict regulations it has become subject to here.
The government recently resumed airing anti-smoking advertisements on TV introducing cases of actual victims. It will also begin printing graphic warnings on cigarette packages, as a means to lower the country's smoking rate.
However, some have taken issue with the company's pride in its sales in developing countries, where government regulations on tobacco companies are more lax, claiming this could end up posing health risks to smokers there.
"Exporting lots of cigarettes and lung cancer along with it? I am at a loss for words.." said a netizen with the ID kmh9****.
Others say KT&G could lower its prices for its consumers here.
"If the company is doing well in overseas sales, then it should lower the prices of its cigarettes here," said a smoker aged 29 in Seoul.
Touching upon the controversy, a public relations team official said, "We did not distribute the press release to promote KT&G products. It is merely part of our yearly global sales reports ― to provide information to our investors."
The company said in a press release Friday it made a record sale of 48.7 billion cigarettes overseas, a 4.7 percent rise from a year earlier. Sales amounted to $812 million, which is a record high for its second consecutive year.
The rise in sales is attributed to new markets in Asia, Africa and Central and South America, in addition to its main markets in the Middle East and Russia.
Starting with Turkey in 2008, the company established overseas factories in Iran and Russia as well. In 2011, it acquired a tobacco firm based in Indonesia.
Its main brand "Esse" accounts for more than half of total overseas cigarette sales.
In regards to the company's performance, some say it is doing a good job in making inroads into new overseas markets amid the strict regulations it has become subject to here.
The government recently resumed airing anti-smoking advertisements on TV introducing cases of actual victims. It will also begin printing graphic warnings on cigarette packages, as a means to lower the country's smoking rate.
However, some have taken issue with the company's pride in its sales in developing countries, where government regulations on tobacco companies are more lax, claiming this could end up posing health risks to smokers there.
"Exporting lots of cigarettes and lung cancer along with it? I am at a loss for words.." said a netizen with the ID kmh9****.
Others say KT&G could lower its prices for its consumers here.
"If the company is doing well in overseas sales, then it should lower the prices of its cigarettes here," said a smoker aged 29 in Seoul.
Touching upon the controversy, a public relations team official said, "We did not distribute the press release to promote KT&G products. It is merely part of our yearly global sales reports ― to provide information to our investors."
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