The tobacco industry is raising questions about fairness as new graphic warning labels have to be affixed on cigarette packs by year-end.

According to industry officials, it is unfair to force such graphic labels on cigarettes but not onto other harmful products such as alcohol.

“We have no choice but to follow the law once it’s implemented, but the images are overly graphic, beyond the point where they can be effective,” a spokesperson for a cigarette manufacturer told The Korea Herald, asking not to be identified.

On March 31, the Ministry of Health and Welfare released 10 images for use on cigarette packs. The graphic images feature various harmful effects of smoking such as diseased lungs, mouth cancer and birth defects.

Under guidelines approved last year, the images will have to cover at least 30 percent of the front and back of cigarette packs.

Tobacco manufacturers point out that packaging for alcohol, which is arguably more harmful to society, are not required to have such warnings.

According to a study by the Health Insurance Policy Research Institute, alcohol has larger socioeconomic costs than tobacco. As of 2013, alcohol created 9.45 trillion won ($8.2 billion) of socioeconomic costs, while tobacco created 7.12 trillion won.

However, bottles for commonly consumed types of alcohol such as soju often feature light-hearted depictions of the most in-demand celebrities.

The cigarette package warnings were approved by the National Assembly last June, and will take effect in December. Recommended by the World Health Organization, the labels are currently used in over 80 countries worldwide.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)