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Director caught on camera smoking indoors, igniting public outrage.
Famed Korean film director Jang Hang Joon, also recognized for his role in tvN‘s show The Dictionary of Useless Human Knowledge beside BTS‘ RM, is now under intense public scrutiny for an act of smoking indoors which was recently made public.
A YouTube upload, now seven months old, shows Jang with what appears to be an e-cigarette (though the image is blurred). While the original video was altered to prevent negative reactions, screenshots of Jang taking a drag have been disseminated throughout online forums.
Viewers of the initial video have noted that smoke from the e-cigarette was visible, irrefutably showing that Jang was smoking inside.
This incident has sparked outrage as smoking within indoor public spaces, including with e-cigarettes, contravenes South Korean law. The nation’s policies on indoor smoking are notably stringent, and such actions are widely condemned.
From July 2013, South Korea has enforced rigid prohibitions against smoking in public venues, imposing penalties of ₩100,000 KRW (approximately $75.10 USD) on individuals caught smoking and up to ₩5.00 million KRW (around $3,760 USD) on proprietors who fail to comply with the regulation. Smoking is outlawed in a broad spectrum of public spaces such as bars, restaurants, cafes, Internet cafes, governmental buildings, schools, universities, hospitals, children’s facilities, libraries, playgrounds, private academies, public transportation stations and platforms, large-scale buildings, theaters, shopping malls, significant hotels, and highway rest areas. These extensive restrictions were implemented in stages, with an initial focus on establishments larger than 150 square meters in 2012, expanding to 100 square meters in 2014, and culminating in a comprehensive national prohibition starting on January 1, 2015.
As of January 1, 2015, an absolute ban on smoking in all bars, restaurants, and cafes regardless of their size has been in effect, including any designated smoking areas. Smokers detected in violation of this regulation are liable to fines of ₩100,000 KRW (about $75.10 USD), and venue owners not abiding by this rule can face penalties up to ₩5.00 million KRW (about $3,760 USD). Any individual can report a smoker by calling or texting a government hotline (120 in Seoul), with relevant location details, and authorities will swoop in to investigate the reported location, capturing photographic evidence of the violation and issuing a fine of ₩100,000 KRW (approximately $75.10 USD) to the offender. Additional measures include covert inspections by officials in disguise, checking random locations to catch wrongful smokers. Moreover, cigarette prices have almost doubled to an average of ₩4,500 KRW (about $3.38 USD), and it is now illegal for packaging to feature deceptive descriptors such as “light”, “mild”, “low tar”, or “pure”.
— Wikipedia
Jang’s workspace, as revealed in other episodes, is classified as a “public space” (under the “large buildings” category legally), despite the title may be under his name. Beyond the blatant violation of the law, the Korean public expresses further disappointment due to Jang’s behavior – smoking in proximity to other individuals.
- “I hope he doesn’t smoke in front of his children.”
- “For real? Ugh… Haha.”
- …
