Japan Tobacco International (JTI) may shift Korean market production abroad from a leased facility at the KT&G plant in Daejeon, the Korea Times said.

JTI reportedly is uneasy about having to share business information with KT&G, the dominant cigarette maker in Korea. Supplying the Korean market with brands like Mevius and Camel would subject them to a 40 per cent import tariff but production optimisation could make the move cost-effective, the Korea Times said.