Seoul says 'no' to introducing foreign cigarettes into military

SEOUL, Dec. 10 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Army has decided to postpone the
introduction of foreign tobacco products at its post exchange stores by at least
another year, Army officials said Wednesday.
The decision was reached at a meeting of 15 selected service members, each
representing a rank in the armed service from private to colonel, officials said.
Three foreign manufacturers, including British American Tobacco and Philip Morris
International, had applied for permission to sell their products on bases.
"The 15 representatives of each rank in the Army decided to exclude all foreign
tobacco products," an official told reporters, asking not to be identified.
The decision is a repetition of past years. The Army, with over 500,000 service
members, represents one of the largest consuming groups in the country.
Army officials said the decision was reached in a vote where each ballot,
regardless of the rank of the person who cast it, carried the same weight.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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