NHIS vs. Big Tobacco: South Korea’s pursuit of cost recovery through litigation

Tobacco use remains one of the most preventable causes of disease and death globally, yet it continues to impose enormous health and economic burdens on societies.1,2 While taxation and regulation have been the cornerstone of tobacco control, a new frontier is emerging, public cost recovery litigation. South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has brought one of the region’s first and most closely watched legal challenges against major tobacco firms, seeking ₩53.3 billion (USD 38–40 million) in reimbursement for cancer treatment costs.