South Korea Again Delays Review of Tobacco Act Amendment; Synthetic Nicotine Still in a Regulatory Gap

Key Points

• Agenda squeeze: The Strategy & Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Economy and Finance prioritized the Act on the Management of Public Institutions; the Tobacco Business Act (TBA) amendment was listed around Item 54 and was not taken up.
• Regulatory vacuum: Because synthetic nicotine is not defined as “tobacco” under current law, it is untaxed and can be sold near schools and via vending machines, effectively serving as a “starter cigarette” for students.
• International contrast: 36 of 38 OECD countries regulate synthetic nicotine at standards equivalent to conventional tobacco; countries without such rules often do not allow e-cigarette sales at all.
• Legislative timeline: Talks began in 2016 but have not passed the Assembly. A November 2024 Ministry of Health and Welfare study found substantial harms from synthetic nicotine, raising hopes for progress, yet the February 2025 session also stalled.
• What’s next: The subcommittee has progressed to agenda items immediately preceding the TBA amendments and plans to reconvene on September 16. Industry groups urge making the TBA amendment a top priority.

2Firsts, September 11, 2025 — The National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee Subcommittee on Economy and Finance failed to review amendments to the Tobacco Business Act (TBA) on September 9 due to agenda conflicts, leaving synthetic nicotine unregulated once again, according to news.naver. The meeting prioritized deliberations on revisions to the Act on the Management of Public Institutions, and the TBA amendment—intended to bring synthetic nicotine under the legal definition of “tobacco”—was pushed down the agenda and ultimately not discussed before adjournment.

Under current law, synthetic nicotine is not classified as tobacco, meaning it is not subject to tobacco taxes and faces no location-based sales restrictions. As a result, products can legally be sold near school grounds and through vending machines. Owing to lower prices and easy access, synthetic-nicotine e-cigarettes are widely described as an entry product for students.

Although policy discussions began in 2016, the amendment has yet to clear the legislature. Expectations for faster progress rose after a November 2024 Ministry of Health and Welfare study concluded that synthetic nicotine carries significant risks; nevertheless, action stalled again during the February 2025 extraordinary session.

The subcommittee has advanced through the agenda up to the items just before the TBA amendments and plans to resume on September 16. Industry stakeholders expressed disappointment that the amendment was not debated and called for swiftly reconvening the subcommittee and placing the TBA revision at the top of the docket.