85 local governments designate smoke-free zones

Watch out smokers: 85 local district offices have banned smoking on boulevards and at other public spots.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 10 metropolitan or provincial governments and 75 district offices have designated communal parks, playgrounds, bus stops, beaches and boulevards as no-smoking zones as of Feb. 29. People who do not abide by the rules will be fined up to 100,000 won per case, the authorities said.

The 10 metropolitan or provincial governments are Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang and Jeju. All districts of Seoul and Ulsan have participated in the campaign, which account for 34.8 percent of all local governments, the ministry said.

The government forecast that more local administrations would follow suit.

“In a 2011 survey of 3,000 people, 57 percent replied that stricter punishment, like more than 100,000 won in fines, should be applied on smokers in outdoor public places,” said Yang Dong-gyo, a ministry official.

“About 48.3 percent of male adults in Korea are smokers, which is higher than the OECD average. We need tougher measures to bring down the rate,” he added.

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)