South Korea: Court Orders Tobacco Co. to Disclose Research Documents [05/03-4]

Excerpts from: Court Orders Tobacco Maker to Disclose Papers on Smoking

By Soh Ji-young Korean Times [05/02/04]

A Seoul court on Sunday ordered Korea Tobacco and Ginseng Corp. (KT&G) to disclose 439 research documents on smoking in a first step toward deciding on the harmful effects of lighting cigarettes.

This marks the first time that tobacco research documents will be released to the public and is expected to bolster plaintiffs¡¯ efforts to seek legal compensation for health problems allegedly stemming from smoking.

The Seoul Central District Court ordered the state-run tobacco manufacturer to release the documents after conducting a field survey on its Taejon-based research center last month.

In 1999, six lung cancer patients and 37 of their family members filed compensation suits against KT&G and the government, claiming that the company promoted cigarette sales while concealing the harmful and addictive effects of smoking from the public.

Due to weary legal disputes over releasing the KT&G documents, the tobacco suits have been dragging on for the past five years with little progress. But now with the court¡¯s move, the lawsuits will now be set on track to grapple the issue of cigarette addiction and the effects it has on public health.

Among the 439 papers ordered to be made public include those on the correlation between smoking and lung cancer, research of nicotine and tar contained in cigarettes and cigarette addiction.

The court has also requested an appraisal team from Seoul National University Hospital to check if there is any relation between smoking and lung cancer. The results of the appraisal will be reflected in the court¡¯s ruling, which may be handed out within this year, court officials said.

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