Philip Morris Korea Defends Switch to Smokeless Products: Report

According to The Korea Times on February 5th, the head of Philip Morris Korea, a branch of Philip Morris International, defended the company's ongoing efforts to transition from traditional cigarettes to smoke-free products in order to promote a healthier lifestyle, citing scientific evidence.

The company's General Manager, Hannah Yun, emphasized the importance of using scientifically validated data to convince the South Korean government of the benefits of smoke-free products. She hopes the South Korean government will provide more support to the e-cigarette industry.

Yin acknowledged that as a tobacco company, PMI often faces criticism regarding public health issues. She added that the company's efforts to encourage smokers to quit by promoting less harmful alternatives are rarely supported by those outside the industry. She pointed out that government criticism of smoking often fails to distinguish between smokeless products and traditional cigarettes, and also fails to recognize the potential benefits of smokeless products.

During a press conference in Seoul, Yin expressed, "We hope that the government can understand that our e-cigarette business is not aimed at pursuing our own interests, but rather advancing a better way of smoking based on scientific data.

During the press conference, the company launched the latest version of its heated tobacco device IQOS, called IQOS Iluma i. IQOS was first introduced globally in 2014 and entered the Korean market in 2017. As of October 2024, Philip Morris International (PMI) holds a 40% share of the HNB market in Korea, while Korean Tobacco (KT&G) leads with 49%, British American Tobacco (BAT) with 11%, and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Korea subsidiary also released its latest heated tobacco device Ploom X Advanced in October.

Yin stated that

In South Korea, one out of every five adults now uses heated tobacco products. We believe that we are doing the right thing by helping the other four adults quit smoking.

Vassilis Gkatzelis, CEO of PMI East Asia, Australia, and Duty-Free Zone, stated during a press conference that PMI's goal is for e-cigarette products to account for two-thirds of its overall sales by 2030.

Gazelis pointed out that South Korea holds a "very special position" among the 180 countries in the PMI market, as it is one of the top five countries in the global market for smokeless products.