烟草在线据《韩国时报》报道编译　　烟草业官员说，上周（3.3-3.9）一些折扣连锁店和便利店卷烟的销售增长了逾10%，表明一些吸烟者预计价格将上涨而正在囤积卷烟。

　　据该国最大的零售商乐天玛特称，从3月6日到8日的三天内，与去年同期相比，卷烟销售上升了16%，相比之下，比3月1日到5日下降了15%。一家大连锁便利商店GS25称，其卷烟销售还增加了约12%。

　　在政府报告计划提高卷烟税，作为降低国家高吸烟率和筹集资金资助福利项目的一个措施后，卷烟销售大幅上涨。

　　在3月6日的议会听证会上，健康和福利部长提名人Chin Young称低卷烟价格是全国高吸烟率的一个关键原因。

　　“韩国男性的吸烟率是经济合作发展组织(OECD)国家中最高的，但卷烟的价格是最低的，”Chin Young在听证会上说。

　　根据由欧盟开展的一项2009年的研究表明，韩国的吸烟率是经合组织成员国中第2高的。该研究显示，在韩国，44.3%的15岁以上的男性吸烟，仅次于有46.3%的希腊。

　　总统朴槿惠的一个主要助手Chin Young说，低卷烟价格也是青少年吸烟率高的一个关键原因，暗示新政府将考虑通过提高烟草消费税提高卷烟价格。政府每年从烟草税中获得的收入大约是7万亿韩元(64.2亿美元)。

　　执政的新世界党也倾向于提高卷烟价格。上周（3.3-3.9），新世界党的议员金载沅提交了修订法案，呼吁通过提高烟草消费税和改善健康费用，把每包的卷烟零售价格提高2000-4500韩元。

　　两届议员承诺今年通过该法案，称立法者已经达成了跨党派的共识。金说，自从上次于2004年提高以来，在过去8年中，卷烟价格维持在同样水平，修订法案是及时的。

　　然而，政府和执政党提高烟草价格的举措，引起了吸烟者和小烟草零售商的反对。

　　零售商反对政府的计划，因为它会抑制烟草产品的销售。

　　“提高卷烟价格提高2000韩元太多了。在一个调查中，我们70%的成员说，提价500韩元将是合适的，”3月9日韩国烟草零售商协会在一份声明中说。

　　该协会是全国卷烟零售商的一个游说团体，它表示，如果政府把价格上调2000韩元，那么它应该补贴小烟草零售商，以保护它们免受价格上涨可能导致销售下降的冲击。

　　它说，超过76%的卷烟零售商是小企业主，店铺的面积不到66平方米。

　　吸烟者也反对计划的提价方案，称如果国民议会批准提高烟草税的修订法案，那么工人阶级家庭将成为第一个受到影响的群体。

　　“我敦促政府找到提高烟草税之外的额外的税收来源，”一个办公室职员金南苏说。

　　韩国疾病控制和预防中心发布的最新研究发现，提高卷烟价格是降低卷烟消费最有效的途径。该机构的数据显示，价格每提高500韩元，卷烟消费会减少7.3%。

Korea - South: Smokers Stockpiling Cigarettes

　　Sales of cigarettes jumped more than 10 percent at some discount chains and convenience stores last week, an indication that some smokers are moving to stockpile them in anticipation of price hikes, industry officials said.

　　According to Lotte Mart, one of the nation's largest retailers, sales of cigarettes rose 16 percent for three days from March 6 to 8 from a year earlier, compared with a 15 percent drop from March 1 to 5. GS25, a major convenience store chain, said its cigarette sales also increased about 12 percent.

　　The sharp gains in cigarette sales followed reports the government plans to raise taxes on cigarettes as a means to reduce the country's high smoking rate and raise funds to finance welfare programs.

　　Health and Welfare Minister nominee Chin Young cited low cigarette prices as one of the key reasons behind the nation's high smoking rate during parliamentary hearings on March 6.

　　"The smoking rate of Korean males is at the highest level among the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) countries, but the prices of cigarettes are the lowest," Chin said at the hearing.

　　According to a 2009 study conducted by the European Union, Korea's smoking rate was the second-highest among OECD members. The survey showed that 44.3 percent of all males aged 15 and older in Korea smoke, trailing only behind Greece with 46.3 percent.

　　Chin, one of the key aides of President Park Geun-hye, said low cigarette prices are also a key reason for the high smoking rate among teenagers, hinting the new government will consider raising cigarettes prices by increasing tobacco consumption taxes. Government revenue from tobacco taxes is about 7 trillion won ($6.42 billion) per year.

　　The ruling Saenuri Party is also moving to raise cigarette prices. Rep. Kim Jae-won of Saenuri submitted a revision bill last week calling for retail cigarette price hikes of 2,000 won to 4,500 won per pack by increasing the tobacco consumption tax and health improvement fees.

　　The two-term lawmaker pledged to pass the bill this year, saying lawmakers had already reached a bipartisan consensus. Kim said cigarette prices have remained the same for the past eight years since they were last raised in 2004 and the revision bill was timely.

　　However, the government and ruling party's moves to raise tobacco prices are drawing protest from smokers and small tobacco retailers.

　　Retailers are opposing the government's plan as it will dampen sales of tobacco products.

　　"Raising cigarette prices by as much as 2,000 won is too much. In a survey, 70 percent of our members said a hike of 500 won would be appropriate," the Korea Tobacco Retailer Association said Saturday in a statement.

　　The association, a lobby group for cigarette retailers across the nation, said if the government presses ahead with a price hike of 2,000 won, it should grant subsidies to small tobacco retailers to protect them from the possible fall in sales from the price hikes.

　　It said that more than 76 percent of cigarette retailers are small business owners whose shops are smaller than 66 square meters.

　　Smokers also opposed the planned increase, saying working-class households will be the first who suffer if the revision bill to raise tobacco taxes is approved in the National Assembly.

　　"I urge the government to find additional tax sources other than raising tobacco taxes," said Kim Nam-su, an office worker.

　　Recent research released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that raising the price of cigarette is most effective in lowering cigarette consumption. According to data from the agency, cigarette consumption tends to decrease 7.3 percent toa every 500 won of price increase. Enditem