North Korea Bans Smoking In Public Places, A Difficult Decision For Heavy Smokers Like Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, on Wednesday, November 4, imposed a ban on smoking in a number of public places. This step was taken by the authorities to create a "hygienic living environment" for residents.

KCNA, Thursday, November 5, reported that the smoking ban law aims to protect the lives and health of North Korean citizens by tightening legal and social controls on the production and sale of cigarettes.

The state legislature explained that in the regulation, it was explained that smoking was prohibited in certain places, such as ideological and political education centers, theaters, cinemas, medical facilities and public health facilities, he continued.

North Korea has a high rate of smoking, with 43.9 percent of the male population smoking in 2013, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data.

Many analysts have praised this policy considering that Kim Jong Un is a smoker. Kim Jong Un is often seen with a cigarette in his hand in photos in state media.

In fact, for Kim, not smoking in public places may also be so difficult. Kim was caught smoking at a train station in Nanning City, China in 2019 on his way to Hanoi for the second summit with US president Donald Trump.