Cigarette manufacturers in South Korea will be required to strengthen health warnings on cigarette packaging starting in late December under a new government regulation, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Sunday.

The ministry plans to distribute the updated manual for labeling health warnings on cigarette packaging Monday, as a follow-up to the government's tobacco industry regulation revision passed in June.

The new regulation is to take effect Dec. 23.

The manual requires companies to have more graphic warnings on cigarette products. For example, a warning on second-hand smoking includes a rendered image of a newborn child sucking on a baby bottle stuffed with cigarette butts.

E-cigarettes will be required to have over 50 percent of their packaging be health warnings, officials said. (Yonhap)