South Korea Plans Unified Regulation for Synthetic and Look-Alike Nicotine Products

Key Points 

• MFDS Commissioner Oh Yoo-kyung told the National Assembly that synthetic and similar nicotine products should fall under a single regulatory system.
• Existing tobacco laws cover only products made from tobacco leaves, leaving e-cigarettes and chemical nicotine substitutes outside regulation.
• MFDS has completed development of a testing method for synthetic nicotine and will implement controls once legal revisions pass.
• The agency plans stronger ingredient testing at customs and new standards for harmful substance management to respond to emerging compounds.
• Oh said Korea will reference international approaches and coordinate with other ministries to ensure effective youth protection and public safety.

According to Money Today and News1 Korea, South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) Commissioner Oh Yoo-kyung said that both “synthetic nicotine” and “similar nicotine” products should be managed under the same regulatory framework to close legal gaps in the oversight of e-cigarettes.

During a parliamentary audit session of the Health and Welfare Committee in Seoul, Oh acknowledged that under current law, e-cigarettes are not explicitly classified as tobacco and therefore fall outside the Tobacco Business Act, Youth Protection Act, and Education Environment Protection Act.

Lawmakers warned that some products marketed as “non-nicotine” or containing modified chemicals could bypass regulation. 

Oh responded that MFDS has already developed testing methods for synthetic nicotine and will apply them immediately once legislative revisions are enacted.

She said the ministry will also introduce standards for testing, strengthen ingredient inspections at customs, and enhance control of harmful substances to address new synthetic compounds.

“It is reasonable to regulate synthetic and similar nicotine within the same framework,” Oh said, noting that several countries have already adopted unified control systems. She added that MFDS will work with other ministries to build an effective management structure to safeguard youth and public health.

similar nicotine generally refers to substances or mechanisms that are similar to traditional nicotine in structure or function, but are not naturally extracted from tobacco plants, nor are they chemical substances of traditional nicotine molecules (such as 6-methyl nicotine).

The photo is from News1 Korea.