REPUBLIC OF KOREA

PRODUCTION OUTLOOK

Types of tobacco leaf grown in 2020 (Source: ITGA): FC Virginia and Burley

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PEOPLE INVOLVED IN TOBACCO

Employment numbers of the tobacco leaf value chain in 2020 (Source: ITGA): Growers: 2 972

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

AREA BY LEAF TYPE

Represents the percentage of area cultivated by tobacco leaf type in the country in 2020 (Source: ITGA)

85%FLUE-CURED VIRGINIA
15%BURLEY

KEY INSIGHTS

Key statistics of the tobacco leaf production in the country

3

AREA

Thousand Hectares (2020), Source: ITGA

8

PRODUCTION

Thousand Tons (2020), Source: ITGA

1.11

AREA/GROWER

Hectares per Grower (2020), Source: ITGA

13

EXPORT VALUE

Million US$ (2020), Source: UN Comtrade

9

PRODUCTION VALUE

Million US$ (2018), Source: ITGA

2,441

YIELD

kg per Hectare (2020), Source: ITGA

2,635

REVENUE/HA

US$ per Hectare (2018), Source: ITGA 

TOBACCO IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Brief contextualisation of the importance of Tobacco in the Republic of Korea

11%

HNB MARKET SHARE

Domestic Heat-not-Burn Market Share of Total Tobacco Market
T

obacco was introduced in Korea during colonial times. The crop had an enormous impact on society and culture. With customs being built around the use of tobacco products, it became part of the national identity. The importance of tobacco to the country’s finances is highlighted through the History of Korea, withthe large-scale cultivation of the crop deeply impacting the society, as tobacco assumed, since the beginning, the role of one of the most reliable sources of income. In recent year, the production of tobacco has been relatively stable. In the country, the new-generation tobacco products are rapidly gaining market share. This novelty is sure to shake the tobacco leaf production and the growers, due to having its strong impact on the demand for domestic tobacco leaf and, therefore, affecting growers’ income. Even though the role of tobacco has diminished with the years, consumption of tobacco products still represents an important source of Government revenue (close to US$ 10 billion).

Sources: Tobacco and Nicotine database, Tobacco Reporter, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), (Kim, 2016) and ITGA.

EXPORT PARTNERS

This section aims at identifying the most important commercial partners in terms of Value and Quantity (Source: Calculated from data from UN Comtrade)

  • RUSSIAN FEDERATION 53%

  • PHILIPPINES 26%

  • SINGAPORE 8%

  • GERMANY 6%

  • TURKEY 6%

  • OTHERS 1%

  • RUSSIAN FEDERATION 41%

  • PHILIPPINES 23%

  • SINGAPORE 14%

  • MALAYSIA 11%

  • GERMANY 5%

  • OTHERS 6%

                                    VALUE (2018)                                                                                                          QUANTITY (2018)