Philip Morris Korea has filed suit against the government demanding information related to recent, unfavourable study results of its IQOS heated tobacco product, Reuters reported.

A June study by the ministry of health found tar levels in two heated tobacco products exceeded that in cigarettes, and that the products tested contained up to five cancer-causing substances. The heated tobacco products tested were Philip Morris' IQOS and the British American Tobacco product glo, the news agency said.
The tobacco company had had a request for disclosure of data from the product testing declined and has filed suit in the Seoul Administrative Court to obtain the information.
“Due to the focus on tar, the ministry’s study resulted in encouraging customers to stick to conventional cigarettes instead of choosing products that contain sharply lower levels of harmful compounds,” Brian Kim, corporate affairs director at Philip Morris, said in a statement.
Reuters said the share of heated tobacco in the tobacco market had fallen from 10 per cent in May to 9 per cent for the June-through-August period, following the June study.