South Korea Imposes Age Verification for E-Cigarette Sales, Fines Up to $14,000

Nov.27.2024

South Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Bans E-Cigarette Sales, Imposes Up to 2 Years in Prison or $14,000 Fine for Violations; Strengthens Online and Offline Sales Monitoring in Collaboration with the Korean E-Cigarette Association to Prevent Sales to Minors

The South Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family reiterated that selling e-cigarettes to adolescents could result in penalties, according to a report by N.News on November 26th.

The department emphasized that age and identity verification must be conducted when selling e-cigarettes. If sold to minors, violators can be punished in accordance with Article 59 of the Youth Protection Act, with penalties including up to two years in prison or a fine of not more than 20 million Korean won (14,000 dollars).

The department is continuing to strengthen its supervision of both online and offline venues, providing guidance and inspections to e-cigarette vendors. It is also requesting the Korean e-cigarette association to increase cooperation efforts in order to collectively promote the implementation of the ban on sales to youth.

Regular age and identity verification checks will be conducted on online sales platforms. If violations are found, corrective measures will be taken, such as issuing rectification orders, to ensure that minors cannot easily access e-cigarette products.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is one of South Korea's central administrative agencies and is the government department responsible for policies related to women, youth, and families.

References:

[1] "액상형 전자담배 청소년 판매, 2년 이하 징역 처벌받습니다"

Also Read:

[1] South Korea Groups Rally for Swift Passage of Synthetic Nicotine Vape Regulation

[2] South Korea Youth Smoking Falls by One-Third in 20 Years, Vape Use Steady

[3] South Korean Lawmakers Propose Warning Labels and Graphics on Vape Devices

[4] Seoul Consumer Group Urges Fast Passage of Tobacco Law to Regulate Synthetic Nicotine

[5] South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance Denies Pushing for Amendments to Tobacco Business Act or Tax Measures to Fill Fiscal Gap

[6] National Cancer Center Korea to Include E-cigarettes in Lung Cancer Screening from Next Year

[7] Seoul Metropolitan Council Addresses Regulatory Gaps in Vape Industry as Youth Usage Surges

#Asia #Open system e-cigarettes #Regulation #South Korea

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