Market & legal data for the vapour sector in South Korea

7th November 2024: South Korea: An official from the Planning and Finance Committee in the parliament said that there is a high possibility that bills amending the Tobacco Business Act to include synthetic nicotine in the definition of tobacco products are referred to the plenary session and approved in the parliament in November or December of this year, press reports. Despite the fact that both main political parties in the country seemingly agree on the need to regulate synthetic nicotine and to extend the definition of tobacco products to products derived from all parts of the tobacco plant, bills to this end have never succeeded.
21st October 2024: South Korea: A group of nine members of parliament from the opposition Democratic Party of Korea has introduced a bill seeking to extend the applicable labelling and packaging requirements and advertising restrictions for e-liquids and heated tobacco consumables to electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco devices.
21st October 2024: South Korea: A group of ten members of parliament from the opposition Democratic Party of Korea has introduced a bill seeking to expand the definition of tobacco products to products derived from all parts of the tobacco plant, including stems, roots and synthetic nicotine. Currently, the definition only covers products derived from the leaves of the tobacco plant, which is why products derived from the other parts of the plant remain unregulated. This is not the first time that a bill has been introduced to this end in the parliament, but none have been successful.
16th October 2024: South Korea: The Ministry of Health is launching an anti-smoking advertising campaign through various media platforms – including TV, social media, radio and online – to raise awareness about the dangers of e-cigarettes. The ministry seeks to discredit the argument that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes are already subject to the same regulatory framework as traditional tobacco products.
5th September 2024: South Korea: A group of ten members of parliament from the opposition Democratic Party of Korea has introduced a bill seeking to ban the sale of e-cigarettes in stores offering them through vending machines but at the same time not operated by any retailer (unmanned stores).
15th July 2024: South Korea: A group of ten members of parliament from the ruling party, the People Power Party, has introduced a bill amending the Tobacco Business Act to regulate e-liquids composed of synthetic nicotine. In May, the government announced its plans to close the legal loophole that allows e-liquids containing synthetic nicotine to be freely circulated in the country because the current definition of electronic cigarettes only encompasses naturally derived nicotine.
1st July 2024: China: According to recently updated trade data from the General Administration of Customs, in May 2024, exports of e-cigarettes to South Korea totalled approximately $72.21m, recording a month-on-month decrease of 4.8% but a year-on-year increase of 63.3%. The export volume was around 2,863 tonnes, decreasing 4.73% month-on-month but increasing 53.2% year-on-year. The export unit price was $24.87 per kg, unchanged from the previous month and increasing 4.4% year-on-year, press reports. Meanwhile, exports of e-cigarettes to the US in May amounted to around $336m, showing increases both month-on-month (2.4%) and year-on-year (34.9%). The export volume was around 7,649 tonnes, showing increases both month-on-month (2.57%) and year-on-year (44.61%). The export unit price was $43.96 per kg, decreasing 0.2% month-on-month and 6.7% year-on-year, press reports.
21st June 2024: South Korea: Yesterday (20th June), the Ministry of Health and Welfare updated the health warnings that nicotine-containing e-liquids must carry. The new requirements, which are updated every two years, will apply from 23rd December 2024 to 22nd December 2026.
15th May 2024: South Korea: The government is planning to amend the tobacco law to regulate synthetic nicotine, press reports. This would end the legal loophole whereby e-liquids containing synthetic nicotine can be freely circulated in the country due to the fact that the definition of electronic cigarettes only encompasses naturally derived nicotine. Closing this loophole has been on the government’s agenda for a few years now.
9th November 2023: South Korea: The Tobacco Harmful Ingredients Disclose Bill was signed into law by the Cabinet on 31st October. The bill obliges manufacturers and importers of all tobacco and nicotine products to test every product for harmful ingredients every two years and submit the results, alongside information on raw materials and additives used, to the Ministry of Health. These requirements enter into force on 1st November 2025.
9th October 2023: South Korea: On 6th October, the parliament approved the Tobacco Harmful Ingredients Disclose Bill. If the government signs the bill into law, it would oblige manufacturers and importers of vaping products to test every product for harmful ingredients every two years and submit the results, alongside information on raw materials and additives used, to the Ministry of Health. The ministry would need to establish a basic framework for the method of analysis, disclosure and use of ingredients. The bill would enter into force two years after its publication in the Official Gazette.
19th April 2023: South Korea: Deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance Choo Kyung-ho said yesterday that e-cigarettes should be taxed at the same level as combustible cigarettes, press reports. E-cigarettes are currently treated as any other tobacco product, but are taxed differently.

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