According to a report from Daum News on October 8th, due to a legislative loophole, South Korea has failed to estimate the amount of tax revenue from synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes for the past four years, which could amount to as high as 3.3895 trillion Korean won (25 billion US dollars). This is mainly because natural nicotine e-cigarettes, similar in composition, have been subject to taxation since 2021, while synthetic nicotine has been excluded.
On the 8th, Song Eon-seok, Chairman of the Planning and Finance Committee of the South Korean National Assembly, discovered through analyzing data from the Ministry of Planning and Finance, the Customs Service, the Food and Drug Safety Agency, and the e-cigarette Association, that the taxes imposed on synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes have not increased annually since 2021. The amounts are 535.8 billion Korean won (approximately $400 million), 989.1 billion Korean won (approximately $700 million), 1,124.9 billion Korean won (approximately $800 million), and 739.7 billion Korean won (approximately $550 million) as of August 2024.
Currently, e-cigarettes using synthetic nicotine are not classified as tobacco under existing laws, so there are no related tax policies. Due to this legal loophole, South Korea may become a "paradise" for international tobacco companies. British American Tobacco (BAT) is expected to launch a synthetic nicotine e-cigarette in November, with South Korea as its initial market.
In the 22nd National Congress, five tobacco industry law amendments, including the one that would regulate and tax synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes, are currently under review, although progress has been slow. Chairman Song, who is responsible for preparing the amendments, stated that the issue of regulatory and taxation gaps caused by synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes will be promptly addressed.
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