South Korea
Synthetic-nicotine vapes were pulled into the tobacco regime in 2026 — the biggest change since 1988.
- Nicotine limit
- No separate cap; products are regulated as tobacco
- Flavours
- Flavour marketing to minors is banned
- Online sales
- Banned — sales limited to designated tobacco retailers
- Tax
- Taxed as tobacco
- Personal import
- Personal-use quantities only; enforcement tightened
- Status
- Restricted
Korea’s 2026 reform closed the loophole that made it the region’s most permissive market: products made with synthetic nicotine were not legally “tobacco”, so they escaped the tobacco regime entirely.
What changed
The Tobacco Business Act was amended to include synthetic nicotine. The amendment took effect on 24 April 2026, with full enforcement from 24 June 2026. Overnight, a large share of the market — most of the popular disposable and pod products — became tobacco products.
What that means on the ground
- Pictorial health warnings on packaging.
- Advertising restricted to a narrow set of channels.
- Sales limited to designated tobacco retailers; online sales are banned.
- Use prohibited in smoke-free areas, with fines up to KRW 100,000.
- Flavour marketing aimed at young people is targeted for enforcement.
Why it is worth watching
Korea is the clearest test case for whether closing a nicotine-definition loophole actually reduces use or just moves it underground. Enforcement has been flagged as the weak point: online sales and “nicotine-free” mislabelling are the stated priorities.