The South Korean Army has decided to postpone the introduction of foreign tobacco products at its post exchange stores by at least another year, Yonhap News Agency reported quoting Army officials.
The decision was reached at a meeting of 15 selected service members, each representing a rank in the armed service from private to colonel, officials said.
Three foreign manufacturers, including British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International, had applied for permission to sell their products at military barracks.
"The 15 representatives of each rank in the Army decided to exclude all foreign tobacco products," an official was quoted as saying.
The decision is a repetition of past years. The Army, with over 500,000 service members, represents one of the largest consuming groups in the country.
Army officials said the decision was made in a vote where each ballot, regardless of the rank of the person who cast it, carried the same weight. (sra)