Foreign cigarettes to be sold on Korean military bases for first time

Foreign cigarette brands will soon be sold in post exchange stores on Korean military bases for the first time.

Among the four new cigarette lines that were approved for sale in PX stores next year, two were foreign brands. They are Marlboro Gold Original by the American company Philip Morris, and Mevius LSS Wind Blue by Japanese maker JTI, according to sources at the Defense Ministry. 

“We welcome the decision,” a spokeswoman for Philip Morris told The Korea Herald. “We believe that this will give Korean soldiers more choice to choose cigarettes based on their personal preferences, and (we) will continue to strive to bring them the best products.”

The four new lines, including Raison French Black and Bohem Cigar Slim Fit Brown, will be available for one year at PX stores starting from January 2017.

This will be the first time that foreign cigarettes are sold in PX stores, effectively challenging the monopoly of KT&G. The move comes ten years after the bidding process was opened up to foreign manufacturers a decade ago in 2006.

Some industry watchers speculate that the decision was a result of continued pressure on the military by foreign tobacco manufacturers, including lawsuits brought by Philip Morris and British Tobacco.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)