
Hannah Yun, managing director of Philip Morris Korea, speaks throughout a press convention for the corporate’s new IQOS Iluma i, in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Philip Morris Korea
The pinnacle of Philip Morris Korea cited scientific proof on Wednesday in protection of the worldwide tobacco firm’s ongoing efforts to shift from conventional cigarettes to digital vaping merchandise for more healthy residing.

A mannequin showcases the brand new IQOS Iluma i. Courtesy of Philip Morris Korea
Managing Director Hannah Yun emphasised the significance of scientifically confirmed knowledge in persuading the federal government about the advantages of digital cigarettes. Her remarks have been directed on the Korean authorities, which has highlighted their harmfulness, urging residents to stop each tobacco and digital smoking.
Yun acknowledged that, as a cigarette firm, it has usually confronted criticism concerning public well being. She added that the corporate’s efforts to encourage people who smoke to stop by selling a probably much less dangerous various have not often acquired outright help from exterior the business, together with from the Korean authorities.
The federal government has constantly criticized smoking with out distinguishing between e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes or acknowledging the potential advantages of the previous. As an alternative, it has handled e-cigarettes as „simply one other sort of smoking you will need to stop“ via numerous ads and TV campaigns.
The Ministry of Well being and Welfare in November launched the outcomes of an exterior report, which studied artificial nicotine utilized in vaping, a kind of e-cigarette smoking. The report concluded artificial nicotine comprises a number of sorts of hazardous chemical compounds, which is opposite to what vaping product makers have stated.
“We have now been stacking up scientific knowledge and making reviews selling these knowledge to show the advantages of e-cigarettes. That is our solely technique to get on the authorities,” Yun stated at a press convention in Seoul, the place Philip Morris Worldwide (PMI) and its Korean subsidiary unveiled a brand new mannequin for its flagship e-cigarette gadget model IQOS to Korea.
“We would like the federal government to know that our e-cigarette enterprise shouldn’t be about pursuing our personal enterprise pursuits. It’s relatively our marketing campaign selling a more healthy technique to smoke based mostly on scientific knowledge. We want the federal government would take a look at our enterprise and perceive it scientifically.”
Philip Morris Korea’s Exterior Affairs Director Kim Joo-han requested the federal government to “test a broader vary of knowledge earlier than introducing insurance policies or pursuing campaigns” to raised perceive e-cigarette smoking.
“Member states of the Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Improvement (or OECD) have launched e-cigarette-friendly insurance policies to advertise the apply and assist the general public stop smoking extra successfully,” Kim stated. “The Korean authorities ought to look into these examples.”

Vassilis Gkatzelis, Philip Morris Worldwide’s president of East Asia, Australia and Responsibility Free Area, speaks in regards to the firm’s mission to usher in a Smoke-free Future utilizing its e-cigarette merchandise at a press convention in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Philip Morris Korea
Throughout the occasion, Philip Morris Korea unveiled IQOS Iluma i, the newest model of its IQOS product, which was first launched globally in 2014 and in Korea in 2017.
As of final October, the corporate occupied a 40 p.c share of Korea’s e-cigarette market, whereas KT&G led with 49 p.c and BAT Rothmans accounted for 11 p.c. In the meantime, JTI Korea, a Korean subsidiary of Japan Tobacco Worldwide, additionally launched its new e-cigarette gadget mannequin, Ploom X Superior, in October.
“One out of each 5 adults in Korea are actually smoking e-cigarettes,” Yun stated. “We imagine we’re really doing the correct factor by serving to the remaining 4 out of each 5 adults stop tobacco smoking.”
Vassilis Gkatzelis, PMI’s president of East Asia, Australia and Responsibility Free Area, stated through the press convention that PMI goals to log two-thirds of its whole gross sales from e-cigarette merchandise by 2030.
“What is really anticipated of a tobacco firm? The reply is easy,” Gkatzelis, who hails from Greece, stated. “It’s introducing the smoke-free future.”
The president stated that amongst PMI’s 180 market nations, Korea “holds a really particular place” as a result of it’s among the many prime 5 nations in its international e-cigarette market.
“IQOS is accelerating the transition away from tobacco cigarettes,” Gkatzelis stated. “It’s ushering on the earth the place combustion smoking is more and more changing into out of date and can [just be seen in] a museum.”