The Rise of E-Cigarette Shops in South Korea's Market

According to a report by News1 on September 13th, a survey conducted by the South Korean government in the first half of this year revealed that there were only 11 unmanned e-cigarette stores at that time. However, as of early this month, the number has surged to 44, quadrupling in just over six months.

It is reported that with the rapid increase in the number of unmanned stores, the adult verification process at some stores has become lax. Some stores even accept expired IDs or paper-printed IDs for adult verification.

These stores primarily sell "e-cigarettes". Unlike traditional cigarettes, e-cigarette shops do not need to register with local government authorities as tobacco retail outlets in order to operate. Various flavors such as fruit and mint e-cigarettes are popular among young people. According to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, between 2019 and 2023, approximately 32% of the 10 adolescent smokers began using tobacco through e-cigarettes. Furthermore, among the 10 adolescents who started with e-cigarettes, 60.3% now primarily smoke traditional cigarettes.

Currently, e-cigarettes are not classified as "tobacco products" in existing laws, making it difficult to regulate them fully. Additionally, these products do not require warning labels or harmful messages, nor do they need to pay tobacco consumption taxes or fees.

Experts believe that including e-cigarettes in the current regulatory system and imposing a consumption tax could effectively reduce the smoking rate among young people.

Director Lee Seung-gyu of the South Korea Tobacco Control Research and Education Center stated:

Currently, e-cigarettes come in various forms such as watches, highlighters, car keys, AirPods, etc., making it difficult for parents to distinguish. If similar regulatory measures to traditional tobacco are implemented on e-cigarettes quickly, and taxes are imposed, the purchasing rate among price-sensitive teenagers would decrease significantly.

In addition, some believe that unmanned stores should have an entrance equipped with a device for adult verification. Li Chengkui emphasized, "Unmanned stores need to introduce adult verification devices using mobile phone numbers at the entrance, as many unmanned stores have open doors.