South Korea : Smokers Challenge Ban in Restaurants

Source from:  Chosun Ilbo 03/05/2015

Smokers and restaurant owners have asked the Constitutional Court to review the legality of a blanket smoking ban in all restaurants.

They argue that the ban deprives the restaurants of their business and property rights and freedom to choose their job.

Representatives of the smokers' group visited the Constitutional Court Tuesday, where they filed the request.

One of them runs a 100 sq.m pub and the other a grilled tripe house of the same size, and they say their sales have dwindled more than 30 percent since the smoking ban.

"We can understand the government's efforts to reduce damage from secondhand smoke. But designating restaurants as no-smoking areas was excessive," the group said.

Back in 2011, 299 Internet cafe operators filed a complaint against a smoking ban in Internet cafes, but the Constitutional Court upheld the ban. Enditem