Smoking in North Korea

Tobacco smoking is popular in North Korea and culturally acceptable among men, but not for women. As of 2019^[update], some 43.6% of men are reported to smoke daily, whilst in contrast only 4.5% of women smoke daily, with most of these being older women from rural areas. Smoking is a leading cause of death in North Korea, and as of 2021^[update] mortality figures indicate that 14.2% of North Koreans die due to smoking-related causes, which is the 6th highest rate after China, Greenland, Kiribati, Denmark and Micronesia.^[1] There are tobacco control programs in North Korea, and although smoking was not prohibited in all public spaces, the smoking rates have declined since their peak in the 2000s.

However, according to the KCNA, the state news agency of North Korea, the Supreme People's Assembly has introduced smoking bans in some public places to provide citizens with "hygienic living environments".^[2]

All three leaders of North Korea — Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un — have been smokers and the country has struggled to balance their public image with its anti-smoking efforts. In general, North Koreans tend to prefer strong tobacco and different classes of quality range from homegrown to sought-after foreign brands that are considered status symbols. As a percentage of the available arable land compared to consumption, the tobacco crop is over-represented in North Korean agriculture.