SOUTH KOREA
South Korea: Heated Tobacco Sticks
October 2026: Japan Tobacco Expands Ploom Lineup in South Korea with Launch of EVO Slate Japan Tobacco (JT) has expanded its heated tobacco portfolio with the release of EVO Slate, a new stick variant designed for its Ploom device line. Developed in response to strong market demand for intense menthol
South Korea: Cigarette Market
September 2026: South Korea Sees 30% Drop in Traditional Smoking as E-Cigarette Use Doubles Over a Decade As conventional cigarette smoking in South Korea drops by nearly 30% (from 23.9% to 17.0%) over the past decade, overall consumer habits are shifting rapidly toward e-cigarettes and heated tobacco. Between 2016 and
South Korea: Heated Tobacco Devices
September 2026: KT&G Launches Special-Edition ‘lil HYBRID 3.0 Misty Rose II’ Heated Tobacco Device KT&G announced the release of the “lil HYBRID 3.0 Misty Rose Edition II,” a limited-edition heated tobacco device featuring two new pink-toned colorways. The new line is priced at ₩88,000 ($66 USD) and comes in two
Tobacco Regulation: South Korea
September 2026: Constitutional Court Unanimously Upholds Volume-Based Taxation on E-Cigarette Liquids South Korea’s Constitutional Court has delivered a unanimous ruling upholding the constitutionality of the current volume-based taxation system applied to e-cigarette liquids. In a joint decision addressing a constitutional petition filed by multiple e-cigarette liquid importers, sellers, and individual
South Korea: Vapes
August 2026: S. Korea Faces Surge in ‘Nicotine-Free’ and Analogue Vapes Following Heavy Vape Tax South Korea’s vaping market is grappling with a rapidly growing loophole following a sweeping tax implementation that more than doubled retail prices for e-cigarettes. Consumers looking to bypass escalating costs are turning to products marketed
South Korea: Heated Tobacco Market
May 2026: Korea’s Heated Tobacco Market Heats Up as E-Cigarette Regulations Reshape Competition Competition in South Korea’s heated tobacco market is intensifying following the recent inclusion of synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes under tobacco regulations. Until recently, synthetic nicotine vaping products had benefited from lighter regulation and lower taxation, giving the category
South Korea: Nicotine Pouches
February 2026: South Korea’s Nicotine Pouch Challenge Despite the rapid global growth of nicotine pouches – driven by brands such as ZYN from Philip Morris International and VELO from British American Tobacco – the category remains largely absent from mainstream retail in South Korea. Beyond limited cross-border e-commerce listings and small-scale
PMI – KT&G Partnership
December 2025: Philip Morris International – KT&G Partership Agreement is revised KT&G announced that it revised the key contractual terms related to its 15-year long-term partnership with Philip Morris International (PMI). The first 3-year period (2023-25) of the agreement, with a minimum guaranteed sales quantity of 16 billion sticks (for
South Korea: Heated Tobacco Promotions
November 2025: British American Tobacco will run a year-end promotion British American Tobacco (BAT) announced that it will run a year-end promotion for the glo Hyper heated tobacco devices. A special promotion will be offered online and offline for the first-time buyers until the end of the year and glo
