Suzy (ex-miss A)'s controversial smoking scene... South Korean government submits opinion to WHO

The Korean government has decided to present its opinion to the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations that the depiction of smoking scenes in online video services (OTT) such as YouTube and Netflix must be reduced.

　The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 4th of this month that it will participate in the 10th General Assembly of the Parties to the WHO Basic Agreement on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which will be held in Panama from the 5th to the 11th of this month.

　At this meeting, the government delegation will urge the secretariat of the agreement and the interested parties to reduce the depiction of tobacco and smoking scenes on OTT platforms and other media.

　They will also emphasize the need for a joint response to the changing environment surrounding tobacco control, including the increase in tobacco advertising and marketing through multinational media platforms and the launch of new tobacco products.

　Unlike currently broadcast programs, scenes of smoking in OTT dramas and movies are shown without mosaic treatment: actress Lim Ji-young in the Netflix series "The Glory: Shining Revenge," which became very popular in 2022, and actress Lee Doo-na in "Lee Doona! was released in October last year, scenes of Suji (ex-miss A), actor Lee Jin-wook, and others smoking were broadcast on public airwaves and became a topic of conversation.

　In particular, a search for "Suji Lee Doo-na cigarette" on a portal site reveals a number of questions asking about the brand of cigarettes Suji was smoking.

　The Korean government also presents the major achievements of its tobacco control policy so far, including the establishment of smoking prevention media guidelines for the expansion of smoke-free zones around daycare centers, kindergartens, and elementary and secondary schools; the passage of the Tobacco Hazard Control Act regarding the analysis and disclosure of toxic ingredients; and the fall in adult smoking rates.

　According to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Korea's adult smoking rate has dropped from 35.1% in 1998 to as low as 17.7% in 2022.

　We will share the results of Korea's tobacco control policy with the international community in detail, and closely study the issues discussed in the General Conference, so that we can use them to strengthen Korea's domestic anti-smoking policy," said Chung Young-hee, Director of the Health Promotion Division of the Ministry of Social Welfare, who is the chief representative of the government delegation.

　As of 2023, 183 countries are parties to the Basic Agreement on Tobacco Control, the first international agreement in the health sector aimed at reducing tobacco consumption and smoking rates worldwide, which Korea ratified in 2005.

　Meanwhile, the General Assembly of the Parties to the Agreement is a regular international meeting held every other year, and this year's meeting will be the first time in five years that it will be held in an offline format.