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Quick links to detailed datasheets for South Korea at gsthr.org

Smoking in South Korea

Current adult tobacco smoking prevalence is 17.7%. (with 5% of women and 30% of men).

Read articles from South Korea

July 24, 2024 by arqam.news

Study: Heated Tobacco Products Increase Smoking Cessation Chances; 99.4% of Users Switched from Traditional Cigarettes

A recent research study conducted by experts at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade revealed that the majority of heated tobacco product users were previously smokers of traditional cigarettes before switching to newer products that heat tobacco instead of burning it.

May 17, 2024 by tobaccoreporter.com

Korea Wants to Regulate Synthetic Nicotine as Tobacco

South Korea plans to regulate synthetic nicotine as tobacco by amending the Tobacco Business Act. Currently, the Act does not cover e-cigarette liquids made from synthetic nicotine, leading to a lack of product regulations including health warnings and taxes. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy and Finance will work together on the revisions. The move comes after an announcement by BAT regarding a potential synthetic nicotine product release in South Korea. The growing popularity of e-cigarettes in the country has prompted the need for updated legislation to address this trend.

April 22, 2021 by koreatimes.co.kr

Underage smoking, drinking rates lower amid pandemic

The number of underage smokers and drinkers in Korea dropped significantly last year compared to the previous year, recent data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) showed. The KDCA suggests this was a result of the decreased number of days where children attend school and reduced activities with peers amid the COVID-19 outbreak. [...] The figures represent the percentage of students who smoked at least one cigarette in the 30 days prior to the survey. The KDCA surveyed 54,948 students from 800 middle and high schools nationwide.

February 16, 2021 by koreaherald.com

BAT Korea to reach wider audience with modified risk tobacco products through digital marketing

BAT Korea reaffirmed its plan to reach a wider audience with potentially-reduced risk products on Tuesday as it cited the success of recent digital marketing efforts to promote e-cigarettes.

“Sales promotions for Glo Pro last month took place both online and in-store and it was especially well received online and we managed to sell out the stock we prepared quicker than expected,” said Yu Jung-min, head of offline activation at BAT Korea during an online press event.

February 02, 2021 by vapingpost.com

BAT Korea Focuses on Promoting Its Heated Tobacco Product on Its 30th Anniversary

British American Tobacco (BAT) Korea shared results from a study indicating that smokers who used its tobacco heating products (HTPs) reduced their exposure to certain toxicants found in regular cigarettes. The tobacco company said that a total of 13 toxicants, including nicotine, cotinine and aminopathalene, are reduced when one switches from smoking to using HTPs. “The slogan of the BAT Group, ‘A better tomorrow,’ represents [the company’s ambition] to create a better future by reducing the harm our business imposes [on people’s health] through satisfying and less damaging products,” said Kim. [...]

October 02, 2020 by koreaherald.com

[News Focus] Why are Koreans loyal to Korean cigarettes?

Smoking culture in South Korea has seen a great change in the past decades. Smoking indoors and in public areas have been banned, and the number of smokers has been decreasing amid rising health consciousness.

New preferences for flavored cigarettes and less smelly products are proving popular, as well as technologies developed to introduce new ways of using the tobacco leaves, by heating and not burning.

Still, one thing in Korea remains the same. Korean people are loyal to Korean cigarettes, even after over 30 years have passed since a nationwide ban on imported cigarettes was lifted.

September 09, 2020 by koreabiomed.com

'FDA’s marketing order of heat-not-burn tobacco as modified risk should change regulatory regime'

Philip Morris International Korea expects that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s designation of IQOS, its heat-not-burn tobacco, as a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) will prompt a change in the local tobacco regulations.

The FDA grants MRTP status to products that have demonstrated that is expected to benefit the population's health in general by reducing harmful or potentially harmful chemicals, PMI Korea said.

March 27, 2020 by nikkei.com

South Korean court delivers latest blow to e-cigarette makers

E-cigarette makers in South Korea suffered a further setback after the Constitutional Court swiftly dismissed a petition by an industry body challenging the government's warnings against the devices.

The court's decision, issued just two weeks after the original filing by the Korea Electronic Cigarette Association, comes amid increasing government pressure on the once-thriving industry, both in South Korea and elsewhere in Asia. Late last year, India banned e-cigarettes entirely.

January 29, 2020 by koreaherald.com

Rivals join hands for global heated tobacco market

In a rare move in the competitive tobacco industry, South Korea’s KT&G established a strategic alliance with Philip Morris International on Wednesday, to expand the market worldwide for its heat-not-burn cigarette brand lil. The unusual partnership secures a global distribution network for KT&G, which has been domestic-centric until recently, while it would help PMI enhance its campaign of “smoke-free” cigarette products with the added portfolio. [...] “Our agreement will benefit adult smokers in the world by providing a wide array of better choices,” Calantzopoulos said.

December 12, 2019 by koreatimes.co.kr

E-liquids contain lung injury-causing chemical

A substance potentially causing serious lung diseases has been found in liquid e-cigarettes sold here, health authorities said, Thursday. The "vaping" products, however, did not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical that is said to be responsible for most cases of lung damage from vaping reported in the U.S. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced the results of its toxicity tests on seven potentially harmful ingredients in 153 liquid e-cigarette products, or e-liquids, amid growing anxiety among vapers following the health authorities' strong warning against using them issued in October.