Amendments to South Korea’s Tobacco Business Act and the new Tobacco Harm Management Act will significantly affect the sale of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches in the South Korean market in 2026.
Due to take effect on 24th April 2026, the amendments make the first change to the legal definition of tobacco since the act’s enactment in 1988. Previously, synthetic nicotine was exempt from regulation, but the new rules mean it will be treated in the same manner, with the definition changing from products containing tobacco leaves to those containing nicotine. This means the law will also apply to nicotine pouches.
