The Korean government plans to ban the free distribution of disposable plastic cups as part of a broader push to curb plastic waste, officials said Wednesday. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced during a presidential policy briefing earlier in the day that this measure will be included in a comprehensive plastic reduction roadmap, which is scheduled to be released early next year. Under the plan, cafes and other businesses will be required to charge customers for disposable plastic cups. Climate Minister Kim Sung-hwan said the government intends to allow individual businesses to set their own prices for disposable cups, while establishing a minimum price range of around 100 to 200 won (approximately 7 to 15 U.S. cents) to reflect production costs and discourage excessive use. The announcement comes as the government continues to reassess the disposable cup deposit system, under which customers pay a refundable deposit of 300 won when receiving drinks in disposable cups and receive the money back upon returning them. The system was promoted under the previous Moon Jae