By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Expanded Testing: South Korea will increase harmful-constituent testing for cigarettes, heated tobacco and vaping products.
- Regulatory Gaps: Nicotine analogs and nicotine-free products remain outside the five-year plan.
- Stronger Oversight: Manufacturers face more ingredient disclosures, inspections and potential restrictions on flavor additives.
South Korea is tightening the screws on tobacco while leaving some nicotine alternatives untouched.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced the country’s first five-year tobacco harm management plan, expanding product testing, tightening manufacturer reporting requirements, and laying the groundwork for potential restrictions on flavor additives.
The 2027–2031 framework, approved on October 29, follows the implementation of the Act on the Management of Harmfulness of Tobacco in November 2025. However, the plan has already drawn criticism for excluding nicotine analogs and nicotine-free products from its regulatory scope.
Under the plan, the number of harmful constituents tested in conventional cigarettes and heated tobacco products will rise from 44 to about 50 by 2030. Testing for liquid e-cigarettes will expand from 20 substances to about 30.
Smokeless tobacco, cigars, and waterpipe tobacco will also be included in the testing program.
Manufacturers and importers will face additional disclosure requirements, including identifying the intended purpose of ingredients and additives. Authorities also plan to conduct random, unannounced inspections to verify submitted information and detect inaccurate reporting.
The government intends to accelerate testing requests for new products by up to 17 months, requiring submissions within one month of market introduction, rather than under the current timetable, which can extend into the following year.
Officials are also examining additives such as menthol and fruit flavorings, gathering information that could support future restrictions on specific ingredients. No immediate flavor ban was announced.
The measures come amid flavored tobacco products’ share of South Korea’s market rising from 9.8% in 2013 to 46.5% in 2023, according to Korean media reports.
Despite expanded oversight, nicotine analogs and nicotine-free products remain largely outside the framework because they do not fall under the applicable legal definition of tobacco.
Jeon Eun-jung, director of the Health Ministry’s health promotion division, explained that the plan covers products classified as tobacco under current legislation.
The omission comes amid growing demand for alternative products. Imports of nicotine-free products have reportedly doubled this year, and online sales of nicotine analog products have risen.
The government is considering separate measures following toxicity research on nicotine analogs, which is expected to conclude in December.
Separately, authorities announced the first public disclosure of harmful-constituent test results for 465 tobacco products sold domestically. The government plans to begin testing and disclosing results for synthetic-nicotine tobacco products in 2027, following their inclusion in the tobacco definition earlier this year.
The five-year plan also calls for developing testing methods to evaluate emissions from vaping products, rather than testing only their e-liquid contents.
South Korea’s proposed 2027 budget for smoking prevention and cessation adds another complication. Funding would decline 14.4% to 79.5 billion won (approximately $59 million), down from 92.9 billion won this year. The proposal remains subject to legislative approval.
The government aims to reduce current tobacco use among adult men from 36.3% to 29% by 2030 and among women from 8.6% to 6%.
