TobaccoReporter logo

Tag: South Korea

  • Korean Smoking Rate Drops 1 Percentage Point

    Korean Smoking Rate Drops 1 Percentage Point

    The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the results from its 2025 Community Health Survey, and found the smoking rate dropped one percentage point from last year to 17.9%, while the use of e-cigarettes rose 0.6% to 9.3%. The overall use of tobacco products dropped 0.5% from last year to 22.1%.

    In other health topics, overall drinking and high-risk drinking dropped 1.2% and 0.6% respectively, but the obesity rate went up 1% to 35.4%. Physical activity went down, while hypertension and diabetes increased.  

  • Cigarette Butts, Winter Months Increase Korean Fire Risk

    Cigarette Butts, Winter Months Increase Korean Fire Risk

    South Korea’s National Fire Agency reported that fires started by discarded cigarette butts caused 154 billion won ($104.7 million) in property damage over the past five years, highlighting the growing risks as winter fire season begins. From 2020 to 2024, the country recorded 191,510 fires, 743 of which were linked to discarded cigarettes. Nearly 40% of fires with casualties occurred from December to March due to heavy use of heating equipment and dry conditions.

    Authorities also said that cigarette-related fires, along with electrical faults, were among the leading causes of large-scale factory and warehouse fires, involving losses of over 10 billion won ($6.8 million).

  • KT&G Reports Record Q3 Results, Raises Annual Outlook

    KT&G Reports Record Q3 Results, Raises Annual Outlook

    KT&G reported record-high third-quarter results, with revenue up 11.6% year-on-year to KRW 1.83 trillion ($1.3 billion) and operating profit rising 11.4% to KRW 465.3 billion ($321 million), the highest in five years. Strong global cigarette sales — up 24.9% — drove growth, while domestic and next-generation product sales remained solid, the company said.

    KT&G raised its annual revenue and profit guidance to double-digit growth and reaffirmed shareholder returns, including a KRW 6,000 ($4.14) minimum dividend per share and KRW 260 billion ($179 million) in stock buybacks.

    The company continues to move forward with plans to expand its nicotine pouch business through a joint acquisition of Another Snus Factory with Altria by year-end.

  • Korea Enforces New Law Regarding Tobacco Ingredients

    Korea Enforces New Law Regarding Tobacco Ingredients

    Starting November 1, South Korea began requiring tobacco companies to test and disclose harmful substances in their products under the new “Act on the Management of Harmfulness of Tobacco.” All manufacturers and importers — including those of cigarettes, heated tobacco, and e-cigarettes — must test products through certified labs every two years and submit results by October 15 annually. Existing products must be tested by January 2026, with public disclosure of results expected in the second half of next year.

    Health Minister Chung Eun-kyung said the system will support evidence-based smoking prevention, while Food and Drug Safety Minister Oh Yu-kyoung pledged transparent communication with the industry to ensure smooth rollout.

  • South Korea Moving Toward Regulating Vapes Like Cigarettes

    South Korea Moving Toward Regulating Vapes Like Cigarettes

    South Korea is moving to classify synthetic nicotine as tobacco under the Tobacco Business Act, subjecting e-cigarettes to the same regulations and taxes as traditional cigarettes for the first time. A subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee approved the revision on Monday, expanding the definition of tobacco from “tobacco leaf” to “tobacco or nicotine.”

    If passed in the main session, the measure would generate an estimated 930 billion won ($646 million) annually in new tax revenue, lawmakers said. Synthetic nicotine has until now been treated as an industrial good, free from tobacco levies and restrictions. The bill, which includes a two-year grace period on retail restrictions, marks the first change to the act’s tobacco definition since its enactment in 1988.

  • South Korea Updates Tobacco Disclosure Rules Amid Criticism

    South Korea Updates Tobacco Disclosure Rules Amid Criticism

    South Korea will begin enforcing its Tobacco Harm Management Act on November 1, requiring manufacturers and importers to disclose harmful components in tobacco products for the first time. The law mandates inspections every two years for existing products and within one month for new launches. Public disclosure of results is expected to begin late next year.

    The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has identified 44 harmful substances in combustible cigarettes and 20 in liquid e-cigarettes for mandatory disclosure. However, critics say the standards are outdated, based on a 1997 U.S. framework by Dr. Dietrich Hoffmann, and have obvious “gaps” as products containing synthetic nicotine or marketed as “nicotine-free” are excluded. South Korean law defines tobacco only as products made from tobacco leaves.

    In defense, MFDS noted that South Korea’s list already exceeds WHO and ISO requirements and matches Canada in scope. Officials said they will expand the list in the future and are considering whether disclosures will be published by product type, brand, or in aggregate, along with explanations of toxicity and carcinogenicity.

  • Experts Urge South Korea’s Government to Raise Cigarette Prices

    Experts Urge South Korea’s Government to Raise Cigarette Prices

    Anti-smoking experts are calling on South Korea’s new government to double cigarette prices and strengthen tobacco regulations to curb smoking rates and protect public health. In a new report, Professor Cho Hong-joon of Ulsan University and Lee Sung-kyu of the Korea Tobacco Control Research Education Center outlined seven key policy recommendations, including raising cigarette prices to 10,000 won ($7.20), enforcing plain packaging, and banning tobacco advertising in convenience stores.

    South Korea currently sells cigarettes at around 4,500 won ($3.24) per pack—less than half the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development average. The researchers argue the price hike is overdue and would bring Korea in line with international standards, noting that cigarette prices are significantly higher in other countries, like Australia’s 45,000 won ($32.40) and France’s 20,000 won ($14.40).

    The report also highlights the widespread presence of tobacco ads in stores, including near schools, and urges stricter enforcement of existing laws.

  • Drug-Laced Vape Ring Busted in Malaysia

    Drug-Laced Vape Ring Busted in Malaysia

    Malaysian authorities, working closely with South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), dismantled an international drug ring accused of attempting to smuggle 2 million doses of etomidate- and cocaine-laced e-cigarettes into South Korea. Authorities seized nearly 5,000 cartridges and thousands of packaging boxes. Etomidate, a potent anesthetic, can cause severe health risks or death when abused.

    Four suspects, including the 31-year-old Singaporean ringleader, were arrested in June in Malaysia. The group allegedly aimed to distribute 20,000 liquid e-cigarettes monthly via Malaysia and other transit points. The ringleader had set up a fake headhunting business in Seoul’s Gangnam district, targeting South Korean students studying in Singapore to build a distribution network. The NIS began tracking the operation in 2023.

  • BAT COO Says Korea Key to Smokeless Expansion

    BAT COO Says Korea Key to Smokeless Expansion

    British American Tobacco (BAT) said it is focusing on South Korea as a strategic hub for its global smokeless transformation, citing the country’s tech-savvy consumers, dynamic regulatory landscape, and innovation-driven ecosystem. BAT Group Chief Operating Officer Johan Vandermeulen said Korea plays a vital role beyond sales, acting as a testing ground for the company’s next-generation products, during an interview with The Korea Herald.

    “Korea offers a unique blend of sophisticated consumers, cutting-edge technology, and a dynamic regulatory environment that makes it an ideal testing ground for our next-generation products,” said Vandermeulen.

    Vandermeulen called the company’s Sacheon facility “one of the best” in the global BAT network, and said with Korea now the second-largest heated tobacco market in the world (behind Japan), BAT is accelerating investments in product innovation, localization, and advanced manufacturing. BAT is also expanding its vapor brand VUSE in Korea with strict ingredient and marketing standards, while eyeing future opportunities for nicotine pouches, its fastest-growing category globally.

    Vandermeulen emphasized that tobacco harm reduction, responsible marketing, and clear, fair regulation are central to the company’s vision, but warned about the dangers of illicit vaping products, which he said undermine public trust and legitimate efforts.

    “We believe vaping has a vital role in encouraging adult smokers, who would otherwise continue smoking, to switch completely to smokeless alternatives,” Vandermeulen said. “But the category can only thrive if market order is preserved.”

  • Korea Seeks to Restrict Synthetic Nicotine

    Korea Seeks to Restrict Synthetic Nicotine

    South Korea is working to restrict the use of synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes, reports The Korea Times.

    Korea’s current law defines tobacco products as those made from the leaves of tobacco plants. Some companies saw this as an opportunity to sell products using synthetic nicotine created in a lab rather than from tobacco leaves.

    Recently, BAT Rothmans Far East, launched its synthetic nicotine vape product, Nomad Sync 5000, which currently does not meet the definition of “tobacco-leaf products” and thus avoids multiple taxes and special charges.

    In recent months, lawmakers have filed more than a dozen bills to amend the law.

    The latest bill, proposed by lawmakers of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Nov. 26, aims to redefine what constitutes tobacco products, seeking to include vapes that use synthetic nicotine.

    Another group of lawmakers are attempting to require sellers to put warnings on vape packaging just as cigarette sellers do, in addition to the expansion of the legal tobacco definition.

     The Ministry of Health and Welfare has vowed to support such legislation efforts.

    .