The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has found 12 agents classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC) as carcinogens in the smoke of cigarettes sold in South Korea.
 
The ministry announced on Tuesday that its research on the health risks of cigarettes found seven carcinogenic agents classified by the IARC as Group 1 and five agents classified as Group 2B in the smoke of cigarettes sold in the nation.
 
Among the Group 1 agents found are formaldehyde, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, benzopyrene and 4-aminobiphenyl.
 
Tuesday marked the first time for the ministry to reveal information on the toxicity of cigarettes. The ministry plans to study what effects the carcinogenic agents have on the human body and disclose study results at the end of the year.