South Korea Background
Data sourced: 2024.   Page updated: 2025-01-02

Heated tobacco products are very popular in South Korea. The South Korean Government has taken a decision to increase heated tobacco product taxes to 89% of those levied on cigarettes.

Prevalence

References:
  1. 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/
  2. 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
Comments:
  1. 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/
  2. Percentage of adults aged 19 and older who reported the current use

Regulation

Allowed
1
2024
References:
  1. Anti-smoking Global Index. (2024). [Data set]. https://antismoking.global/

Availability

References:
  1. 1. Philip Morris International website. Available at: https://www.pmi.com/smoke-free-products/iqos-our-tobacco-heating-system; 2. WHO (2018) Heated tobacco products (Htps) market monitoring information sheet. Available at: https://www.who.int/tobacco/publications/prod_regulation/htps-marketing-monitoring/en/ ; 3. Korea Bizwire (2017). KT&G Challenges Philip Morris, BAT with HNB Tobacco Product �Lil�. Available at: http://koreabizwire.com/ktg-challenges-philip-morris-bat-with-hnb-tobacco-product-lil/100430; 4. BAT Harm Reduction Report 2018. Available at: https://www.bat.com/group/sites/uk__9d9kcy.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO9DCL3P.
Comments:
  1. 1. IQOS; 2. glo; 3. lil
The GSTHR database is updated regularly by our team. However, please be aware that the information we provide does not constitute legal advice. We cannot guarantee that the information is up to date or accurate, as the regulatory status of different product categories can change at short notice and with little publicity. If you wish to check the legal status of use or possession of any safer nicotine product in a specific country or region, you should verify the information independently. If you have reason to think that the information supplied on the GSTHR is inaccurate, please contact us with details and any references and we will rectify any errors.