President Lee Jae Myung has put forward the idea of introducing a sugar tax on foods and drinks that contain high levels of sugar or sweeteners, adding momentum to the ongoing debate on public health measures, reports The Chosun Daily.
The president shared a report of a public opinion survey on the proposed sugar tax on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, In his post, he said that reducing sugar consumption through a levy, similar to the approach taken with tobacco, could help curb excessive intake. He also said the funds collected should be directed towards improving regional and public healthcare services, while inviting people to share their views on the proposal.
The sugar tax is generally aimed at lowering the risk of health problems such as obesity and diabetes and improving overall public health. More than 120 countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have already introduced such a tax. In recent months, discussions on bringing in a sugar tax have also gained traction domestically.
Public support for the measure appears strong. A survey conducted by Seoul National University’s Health Culture Business Unit between the 12th and the 19th showed that 80.1 per cent of the 1,030 respondents were in favour of introducing a sugar tax.
President Lee has recently been active on social media, using the platform to share his views on various government policies. On the same day, he also posted about differences in interest rates applied to local government treasury operations. He pointed out that even a one per cent difference on one trillion won amounts to 10 billion won, and said such gaps were worth examining alongside the level of democracy in different cities.
