"If It Makes Up for Firefighting Funding Shortfalls," 8 in 10 Adults Back 300-Won Tobacco Price Hike

Support reaches 82.1% if use for firefighting equipment and personnel is guaranteed
Funds to go toward expanding protective gear for firefighters

Eight out of 10 adults supported raising the individual consumption tax on tobacco by 300 won per pack to make up for reduced funding for firefighting.

Firefighters head to the scene of a fire. Yonhap News

On October 29, the Korea Youth Legislative Policy Association said that a web survey of 1,024 adults aged 19 or older nationwide, conducted from October 23 to 28, found that 77.9% supported raising the individual consumption tax on tobacco by 300 won per pack to offset next year's reduction in the Fire Safety Grant Tax. Support rose to 82.1% when respondents were told that legislation would guarantee the increase was used first for firefighting equipment and personnel.

Asked how the additional funds should be spent first, 76.3% chose protective gear for firefighters and expanded safety equipment, followed by recruiting more frontline personnel and improving their working conditions (50.3%), and replacing aging fire engines and equipment (44.4%).

In addition, 78.2% said the National Assembly should pursue legislation to adjust the individual consumption tax on tobacco, while 75.8% supported periodically adjusting the tax rate in line with inflation. The most popular approach to raising the tax was a "gradual adjustment" in small increments over several years, selected by 42.4%.

The government set next year's Fire Safety Grant Tax at 760.5 billion won, a reduction of 289.8 billion won (27.6%) from this year’s 1.0503 trillion won. Forty-five percent of the individual consumption tax on tobacco funds the Fire Safety Grant Tax, so a decline in tobacco sales leads to a reduction in the firefighting budget.

The association estimated that raising the individual consumption tax on tobacco, which has remained unchanged since 2015 for 11 years, from 594 won per 20 cigarettes to an additional 300 won per pack would generate about 1.059 trillion won in additional tax revenue, assuming sales volumes remain unchanged. About 476.6 billion won of that would go to the Fire Safety Grant Tax, making up for next year's reduction.

The association proposed that the National Assembly legally guarantee how the increase would be used and establish a mechanism to raise the tax rate gradually and adjust it periodically in line with inflation.

An association official said, "Support increases when legislation guarantees that the additional revenue will be used for fire safety," adding, "The National Assembly should promptly begin legislative discussions that include guarantees on how the funds will be used."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.