We're sweet enough, thanks: Nearly 6 in 10 Koreans support tax on sugary goods, survey says

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We're sweet enough, thanks: Nearly 6 in 10 Koreans support tax on sugary goods, survey says

Published: 24 Jun. 2025, 15:54 Updated: 25 Jun. 2025, 17:26

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Dunkin' Korea's low-sugar jam donuts, launched as part of the franchise's ″Wonders″ project, are on display at Dunkin's newly rebranded Wonders store in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, on Sept. 10, 2024. [NEWS1]

With obesity and diabetes on the rise, a majority of Koreans now say it’s time to hit companies that produce sugary products where it hurts — their wallets.

According to a new survey, nearly six in 10 Koreans support slapping a tax on high-sugar foods and drinks, a public health measure long debated but never enacted in the country. The poll, conducted by Hankook Research for a public health institute under Seoul National University, found that 58.9 percent of 1,000 respondents backed a so-called “sugar tax” targeting manufacturers of sugary products.

The institute argued that the revenue collected from the sugar tax should be used to fund essential and public health care services, support senior citizens and vulnerable groups and improve school nutrition and physical education programs.

A majority of respondents, 64.1 percent, said the sugar tax would be effective in improving public health, and 58 percent said it would reduce the production and distribution of products containing added sugar.

In addition, 82.3 percent of respondents agreed that sugary drinks should carry warning labels about the health risks of sugar, similar to the visual warnings on cigarette packs. A large proportion of respondents, 81.1 percent, said such warnings would raise awareness among consumers, while 77.1 percent said they would encourage companies to produce alternatives. Around 72 percent said warnings would improve public health and 63.4 percent said they would reduce the purchase of sugary beverages.

Added sugar in beverages is known to increase health risks, such as obesity, diabetes, heart attack and stroke. The sugar tax aims to reduce sugar consumption and prevent related illnesses by imposing a health levy on companies that produce high-sugar beverages, similar to the tax imposed on tobacco products.

Tanghulu, a traditional Chinese dessert created by skewering assorted fruits coated with a layer of sugary syrup, is on display at the store in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Oct. 10. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Norway was the first country to introduce a sugar tax in 1922. While only 17 countries had adopted the policy by 2000, the number rose to 117 countries — including the United Kingdom and France — after the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended its adoption in 2016.

“Studies show that introducing a sugar tax on high-sugar foods can reduce consumer sales by 33 percent, leading to a decrease in sugar consumption and a reduction in metabolic disorders, chronic diseases, cancer and childhood asthma,” said Yoon Ji-hyun, a professor of food and nutrition at Seoul National University.

Calls to introduce a sugar tax in Korea stem from widespread overconsumption of sugar. As of 2021, one in four Koreans, 25.6 percent, consumed more sugar than the WHO’s recommended daily limit of 50 grams (1.76 ounces). The rate was even higher among children and adolescents, with four in 10 with 40.3 percent, exceeding the threshold — contributing to rising rates of obesity and chronic illnesses.

Although lawmakers proposed a sugar tax in 2021, the discussion was shelved due to opposition from the food industry.

“While the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is promoting low-sugar policies, lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes continue to rise,” said Yoon Young-ho, director of the Health Communication Research Institute. “It’s time to implement a sugar tax to reduce excessive sugar intake and improve public health.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY RHEE ESTHER [[email protected]]