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A few years ago, importer Pierre Cohen-Aknine felt
the need to create a space for a small class of smokers who had to nowhere
to go in a country full of smokers ¦+ those who enjoy cigars.
When he
began importing Cuban cigars to Korea in 1995 through his trading company,
Pierre Limited, he began sampling them himself and found fellow cigar
aficionados. What initially started as impromptu get-togethers became
occasional gatherings of 72 cigar lovers in the capital.
In 2001, Mr.
Cohen-Aknine started Seoul's first official cigar club. "Everybody kept on
coming to smoke their cigars in my office, so I just made space," he said,
extending his arms out from his sides.
His office on Mount Namsan is
divided into two areas: his trading office, Pierre Limited, and an
entertainment area equipped with a walk-in, glass-walled humidor and an
espresso bar with a small sink.
Except for one American, all the
members are male, and most are non-Korean. But now more Koreans are
starting to adopt cigars as their smoke of choice.
In the past, cigars'
strong smell and their image of pretentious wealth turned off Korean
smokers. Even now, cafes and restaurants that allow cigarette smoking will
often discourage cigar smokers from lighting up.
According to a
spokesperson at KT&G, which controls tobacco sales and distribution in
Korea, the consumption of foreign tobacco products since the late 1980s
has been rising steadily, with a 23 percent market share in the first half
of 2004. However, cigars make up a miniscule part of foreign tobacco
consumption, or less than 0.1 percent.
It is a particularly difficult
market, yet Mr. Cohen-Aknine's Pierre Limited has seen a steady increase
in cigar consumption in Korea in recent years. Because of his competitors,
he declined to comment on the exact amount of the Cuban cigars he imports
or his sales figures.
The cigars' smell is the same, but what has
changed is Koreans' perception of cigars. What was once seen as a sign of
flaunted wealth and leisure is now seen as a sign of sophistication.
At
A.O.C., a European-style brasserie in Cheongdam-dong, one can spot stogie
smokers puffing away in the cigar lounge.
Among them is Kim Yong-ho, a
fashion photographer and restaurateur, who can be seen savoring the taste
of his favorite, Davidoff's Robusto, in the evenings.
Mr. Kim said a
handful of fellow cigar smokers started something like a club about eight
years ago, but it soon disappeared.
¦+Masculine' aura
"The
image of smoking cigars was somewhat too authoritative, masculine and
luxurious in Korea back then," he said. "If a company CEO or a prominent
politician were seen smoking a cigar in public, it was viewed as
negative."
To the 50-something photographer, cigars signify the
smoker's economic status and leisurely lifestyle. "But it's not just about
having a lot of money and time. Because smoking cigars is normally
accompanied by intelligent conversation, cigar smoking has been recognized
as a high-class pastime," he said.
"A number of freelance workers and
the newly rich in Korean society, who are free from social prejudice,
regard cigars as part of a sophisticated culture," Mr. Kim said.
Celine
Shin, spokesperson at Blue Bell Korea, which imports more than a dozen
Dominican Republic cigars, says the company's clientele consists mainly of
corporate CEOs and executives.
"Smoking cigars has become a new
lifestyle, as people gather occasionally to enjoy time after work, with
dinner and wine to go with cigars," she said.
However, "Korea is a
tough market because people are used to easy-to-smoke cigarettes, and the
market remains exclusive," she said.
Cigars have been in Korea for a
long time, but the early ones were domestically produced, according to a
KT&G spokesman.
"The brand named Hangang was popular in the 1960s,
and there were other brands such as Seorak and Yeonsong," he said. "But
somehow cigars lost their appeal to Koreans over the years, and now
cigarettes make up a majority of the domestic tobacco market."
Most of
the world's top-quality cigars are produced in Cuba and the Dominican
Republic. Leading cigar brands in Korea are Cohiba, Montecristo, Davidoff
and Dunhill.
Finding them in Korea may not be easy, as sales of
cigarettes in restaurants and bars larger than 40 pyeong (132 square
meters), as well as any promotional activities, are prohibited.
Despite
such restrictions, major cigar importers in Korea, such as Pierre Limited,
Blue Bell Korea and British American Tobacco, are planning to expand
distribution by selling cigars through convenience stores, gift shops and
cigar lounges.
The importers' promotions are designed for the wealthy
and upper classes in Korea. British American Tobacco, which distributes
Dunhills, often offers complimentary cigars at private functions targeting
high-end clientele. Blue Bell Korea organizes events for cigar smokers in
wine bars and hotels.
Those wanting a more casual atmosphere go to Mr.
Cohen-Aknine's lounge. Membership fees include a 500,000 won ($416)
non-refundable deposit and an annual fee of 500,000 won, which gets
members access to the lounge and a 20-percent discount on cigars and cigar
accessories.
One Wednesday evening in July, through the door of an
office that has no sign outside, Thierry Marty and Pascal Paoli strode in
unannounced. As single, French expats in Korea, they had the time to visit
their mutual friend, Mr. Cohen-Aknine.
Mr. Cohen-Aknine had just told
his Korean wife that he would be home soon for dinner but upon seeing his
regular visitors, he changed his mind. Soon, the three began to light
their favorite cigars, all Cuban.
"Thierry is one of the biggest
individual buyers of my cigars here," Mr. Cohen-Aknine said.
"I buy
from Pierre, maybe a case or two, per month, but then when I travel, I buy
cigars," Mr. Marty said.
Images of Cuba
On the white walls of
the lounge were posters, photographs of tobacco farms in Havana,
black-and-white picture frames of tuxedo-clad men holding fat cigars.
The console and shelves displayed memorabilia from Cuba and cigar
paraphernalia. Imported ashtrays, cigar guillotines, humidors, stacks of
books, maps, postcards were placed in an orderly manner.
As a gray
haze hovered over the three men, an earthy, spicy scent filled the room.
In the background, Ella Fitzgerald could be heard singing as they played
backgammon.
"We do this all the time. It's our simple pastime," Mr.
Cohen-Aknine said, lighting another cigar.
The well-known hazards of
smoking don't faze Mr. Cohen-Aknine, who smokes an average of two cigars a
day.
"Slow death can be brought upon by a number of elements in your
life," he said.
"For example, a temperamental boss at work can be
highly stressful. There are other negative things or stressful situations
that are bad for you, such as pollution, fast food, sugar, palm oil,
caffeine. Excess of anything is bad."
Cigars, he said, offer mental and
psychological satisfaction.
"You can take out a cigarette anytime and
put it out quickly, but not with a cigar," he said. "It takes time to
choose, light and put it out. A cigar smoker normally plans his cigar for
the day. When he takes out a cigar or two, he thinks about when, where and
with whom he will be smoking for how long."
He says that unlike
cigarettes, cigars are closely associated with one's cultural
sophistication, and the social element of cigars can override the
cancerous chemical substance in tobacco.
"A cigar can cool and relax a
person physically and psychologically, and so cigar smokers are usually
attentive and good listeners," he said. "It's that human quality of cigars
that generates a happy process in one's life.
"I cannot say that
smoking cigars by itself will necessarily make the smoker interesting, but
if one is interested in refining particular experiences and nurturing
in-depth knowledge, then he or she must display other characteristics and
perspectives in other fields of interests in life, making the conversation
or time with them interesting," Mr. Cohen-Aknine said.
To reach that
level of sophistication, he claims, a beginner smoker needs to acquire a
taste for the bitterness in cigars, which are made from fermented tobacco
leaves.
"To someone who never ate top-grade caviar, it can taste like
¦+jelly gone bad.' Money won't buy you a good smoke; you must deserve it,"
he said.
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