South Korea: E-liquid Prices May Surge 5-Fold Amid Synthetic Nicotine Regulation

According to AFP BB News on October 13th, the South Korean parliament is actively working towards regulating synthetic nicotine, with particular attention being paid to the setting of e-cigarette tax rates.

According to data from the South Korean National Assembly Legislative Information System, as of September 30, six proposals to amend the Tobacco Business Act have been submitted to the parliament. These proposals aim to regulate synthetic nicotine.

The South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy and Finance are currently studying the possibility of defining synthetic nicotine as tobacco. Once these amendments are passed, all products containing synthetic nicotine will be considered tobacco and subject to both pricing and non-pricing regulations.

However, the e-cigarette industry strongly opposes this. Under the current tax system based on weight, the price of a 30ml e-liquid nicotine product could soar from 20,000 Korean Won (15 USD) to 70,000 Korean Won (52 USD) to 100,000 Korean Won (74 USD). As a result, the industry advocates for the tax system to shift from being based on e-liquid capacity to being based on price.

Experts say that if a uniform tax system is implemented for products with different nicotine levels, the open system market will face a significant impact. At the same time, British American Tobacco, planning to launch synthetic nicotine product "Nomad" in November, is closely monitoring regulatory trends. In response to criticism over using regulatory loopholes to sell products, the company stated it supports appropriate regulation of synthetic nicotine products.

The Korea Health Promotion Development Institute emphasized that current laws do not provide a legal basis for regulating synthetic nicotine. From a perspective of safeguarding public health, all tobacco products require similar regulatory measures.