First Anti-Smoking Suit in Korea

A sailor who Thursday filed a lawsuit against the government for encouraging smoking, after developing lung cancer due to long-term smoking, has set a precedent as the first in the nation to confront legally the government on the issue.
The plaintiff, known only by the last name 'Mr. Kim', claimed that he had suffered toxic symptoms from cigarettes and hoped to change national policy which he said aimed to collect as much revenue as possible from those addicted to smoking.
Solicitor Choi Jae-chun, representing Kim's 17 other lawyers, said in court, 'I do not expect that the current claim will be finished in a year or 2. It is not a personal matter but a public issue as the government has repeatedly hidden materials indicating the dangers of smoking from the general public.'
On the other hand, Park Kyo-sun, solicitor for the administration said in their defense, 'Smoking is not necessarily related with lung cancer, as even in so many cases in the United States, no plaintiffs in cases against the administration or tobacco companies have found victory in the courts.'
Bong Hwa-shik:trojans@joongang.co.kr