In a news brief from N News on June 17th, the Korean Anti-Smoking Association proposed five legal tasks aimed at preventing smoking and promoting smoking cessation to the 22nd National Assembly at a recent spring academic conference. The association hopes to actively promote the amendment and establishment of relevant laws in the next four years to further strengthen the regulation of tobacco and nicotine products.
The five proposed legislative measures include:
Revision of Article 2 of the Tobacco Business Act: The definition of "tobacco" will be revised to include synthetic nicotine products in the regulatory scope, addressing the deficiencies of current regulations. Flavored tobacco will be prohibited to prevent the behavior of enticing young people and children to start smoking through the addition of flavors. Tobacco displays will be banned in convenience stores and other retail outlets to limit the visibility of tobacco products at points of sale, reducing opportunities for the public, particularly minors, to come into contact with them. Plain packaging without advertising will be required for standardized cigarette packaging, simplifying and unifying packaging to remove attractive designs and reduce the appeal of tobacco products. Disposable e-cigarettes will be banned to curb their use and sales and reduce their appeal to young people. According to statistics from the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, a total of 67 bills related to tobacco regulation were proposed in the 21st National Assembly (including 4 government proposals and 63 member proposals), but only 3 were ultimately passed.
The three bills that have been passed are as follows:
Expanding the application scope of the National Health Promotion Contribution Fund: from traditional tobacco leaves to include stem and root materials (effective in August 2021). Expanding smoke-free zones around educational facilities: to protect minors from the effects of tobacco smoke (effective in August 2024). Enacting the Tobacco Harmful Ingredients Management Law: to analyze and disclose the harmful components of tobacco (effective in November 2025). Although the enactment of the Tobacco Harmful Ingredients Management Law is the result of over a decade of efforts by the Ministry of Health and the Anti-Smoking Association, the law faces challenges regarding some "toxin clauses". Under the current Tobacco Industry Law, the law applies only to products defined as "tobacco". Therefore, synthetic nicotine products, which dominate the market, as well as recently emerged nicotine-free liquids (including nicotine analogues), are not within its regulatory scope. This allows these products to potentially evade legal oversight, weakening the effectiveness of the law.
Therefore, the Korean Anti-Smoking Association urges that the Tobacco Hazardous Ingredients Management Act must be revised before its implementation, prioritizing the amendment of the Tobacco Business Act to ensure effective regulation of all tobacco and nicotine products, preventing the law from becoming a "half-baked" legislation.
We welcome news tips, article submissions, interview requests, or comments on this piece.
Please contact us at info@2firsts.com, or reach out to Alan Zhao, CEO of 2Firsts, on LinkedIn
Notice
1. This article is intended solely for professional research purposes related to industry, technology, and policy. Any references to brands or products are made purely for objective description and do not constitute any form of endorsement, recommendation, or promotion by 2Firsts.
2. The use of nicotine-containing products — including, but not limited to, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouchand heated tobacco products — carries significant health risks. Users are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions.
3. This article is not intended to serve as the basis for any investment decisions or financial advice. 2Firsts assumes no direct or indirect liability for any inaccuracies or errors in the content.
4. Access to this article is strictly prohibited for individuals below the legal age in their jurisdiction.
Copyright
This article is either an original work created by 2Firsts or a reproduction from third-party sources with proper attribution. All copyrights and usage rights belong to 2Firsts or the original content provider. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or any other form of unauthorized use by any individual or organization is strictly prohibited. Violators will be held legally accountable.
For copyright-related inquiries, please contact: info@2firsts.com
AI Assistance Disclaimer
This article may have been enhanced using AI tools to improve translation and editorial efficiency. However, due to technical limitations, inaccuracies may occur. Readers are encouraged to refer to the cited sources for the most accurate information.
We welcome any corrections or feedback. Please contact us at: info@2firsts.com
