The number of cigarettes released in the South Korean market plunged more than 40 percent from a year earlier in the first quarter, the government said Monday, possibly reflecting an apparent drop in sales following a price hike.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the amount of cigarettes released in the local market came to some 519 million packs in the three months, down 44.2 percent from the same period last year.

A ministry official noted the number may be different from the number of cigarettes actually sold, but that it may show a similar drop in sales.

Such a decrease came after the government increased the prices of all cigarettes sold here by 2,000 won ($1.85) per pack, nearly doubling the price to over 4,300 won.

Also confirming the effect of the price hike on smokers, the number of people signing up to quit nearly tripled over the cited period, according to the ministry.

In the January-March period, the number of people who signed up for anti-smoking programs at public health clinics came to about 280,000, up 2.7 times from the same period last year.

The ministry plans to further strengthen its anti-smoking campaign, a move that includes inserting graphic pictures of smoking-related cancer patients on cigarette packs.

"The government will move to quickly implement its non-price related anti-smoking policies, such as the insertion of warning pictures and an expansion of non-smoking areas," it said. (Yonhap)