North Korea bans smoking in public places to safeguard 'hygienic living'

Measure comes despite more than 43% of the country's male population being smokers, including leader Kim Jong-un

North Korea's supreme people's assembly has introduced smoking bans in some public places to provide citizens with hygienic living environments", state media KCNA reported.

The tobacco-prohibition law aims to protect the lives and health of North Koreans by tightening the legal and social controls on the production and sale of cigarettes, KCNA on Thursday quoted the legislature as saying.