South Korea’s National Assembly passed a major amendment to the Tobacco Business Act yesterday (December 2), closing a long-criticized loophole by classifying liquid e-cigarettes that use synthetic nicotine as “tobacco.” The tobacco law change was part of a broader package of 79 livelihood-related bills and 16 budget measures passed during the session.
Officials say the move addresses a regulatory blind spot that allowed widespread use of synthetic nicotine—which they said accounts for 95% of the market— without taxation or consistent public health controls. Lawmakers expect the change to generate roughly 930.1 billion won ($632 million) in new tax revenue once implemented. The measure had stalled repeatedly since 2016 “due to industry opposition,” but this time cleared the plenary session with bipartisan support.