• tobacco industry
• non-cigarette tobacco products
• electronic nicotine delivery devices
• harm reduction
• surveillance and monitoring

In response to stronger tobacco control regulation spreading around the world, the tobacco industry releases and promotes new, diverse products in order to maintain market share. The release of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in May 2017 and closed system types of electronic cigarette (e-cig) vapour products (eg, JUUL) in May 2019 have transformed South Korea’s tobacco market, given that these products have already captured around 11.4% of the market share as of September 2019.1

In South Korea, the definition of a tobacco product refers to what is manufactured in a state suitable for smoking, sucking, inhaling (aerosol), chewing or smelling, by using tobacco leaves as all or any part of the raw materials, according to Article 2 of the Tobacco Business Act.2 Based on the aforementioned act, while HTP sticks and e-cig liquid containing nicotine from tobacco leaves are both regulated as tobacco products, HTP sticks and e-cig liquid that may have nicotine from other parts of tobacco, such as tobacco stems and roots, are not regulated as tobacco products, nor are the devices to use with them. This might be a different view and definition from other countries, such as the UK, where smokers are encouraged to use e-cigs as a smoking cessation aid.

South Korea’s legal definition of tobacco products is abused by the tobacco industry and e-cig manufacturers. Since any …