
In South Korea, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are classified as tobacco products, and their sale is prohibited to minors under 19 years. Packaging and advertisements have to include health warnings saying they contain any listed harmful substances. Nicotine-containing-e-cigarette adverts can only be featured a maximum of 10 times per magazine per year. Vaping is banned in public places and on public transport, but is allowed in designated smoking areas. E-cigarettes have a number of taxes and charges applied to them (national health promotion, tobacco consumption, local education, and individual consumption taxes) proportional to 1,799 won per ml (approx. $1.53 USD) of nicotine liquid. There is also a waste charge of 24 won/20 cartridges (approx. $0.02 USD) and a 10% Value Added Tax (VAT).
Prevalence
- 1. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (2023), Korea Health Statistics 2022: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IX-1), Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Osong, https://knhanes.kdca.go.kr/knhanes/sub04/sub04_04_01.do. Cited in Park, J. E., Jeong, W. M., Choi, Y. J., Kim, S. Y., Yeob, K. E., & Park, J. H. (2024). Tobacco Use in Korea: Current Epidemiology and Public Health Issues. Journal of Korean Medical Science, 39(45), e328. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e328 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (2023), Korea Health Statistics 2022: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IX-1), Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Osong, https://knhanes.kdca.go.kr/knhanes/sub04/sub04_04_01.do. Cited in Park, J. E., Jeong, W. M., Choi, Y. J., Kim, S. Y., Yeob, K. E., & Park, J. H. (2024). Tobacco Use in Korea: Current Epidemiology and Public Health Issues. Journal of Korean Medical Science, 39(45), e328. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e328
- Percentage of adults aged 19 and older who reported the current use World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- Percentage of adults aged 19 and older who reported the current use
Product promotion
- Allowed or banned at place of sale or allowed or banned in all media.
Regulation
- Data cross-referenced where possible using the following sources :1. Vapetrotter website. Available at: https://www.vapetrotter.com/laws/ ; 2. Global tobacco control website. Available at:https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/node/14052 ; 3. Tobacco Control Laws website. Available at : https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/