SOUTH KOREA
South Korea: Heated Tobacco Sticks
August 2026: Philip Morris Korea Expands IQOS ILUMA Lineup with Launch of ‘TEREA Rimona Pearl’ Philip Morris Korea announced the release of “TEREA Rimona Pearl,” a new capsule-type tobacco stick for its flagship IQOS ILUMA heated tobacco devices, expanding its specialized flavor portfolio for adult consumers. The new TEREA Rimona
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
Tobacco Regulation: South Korea
June 2026: South Korea Reconsiders Cigarette Tax Hike as Public Support Grows South Korea is once again considering raising cigarette taxes after the Health & Welfare Minister said the government needs to review tobacco pricing as part of broader tobacco control efforts. While no formal proposal has been introduced, the
South Korea: Heated Tobacco Devices
June 2026: KT&G Expands lil AIBLE 3.0 Heated Tobacco Device Nationwide in South Korea KT&G has expanded sales of its latest heated tobacco device, lil AIBLE 3.0, across South Korea after initially launching the product in selected regions earlier this year. The nationwide rollout follows a pilot introduction in Seoul,
South Korea: Cigarette Market
May 2026: Heated Tobacco & E-Cigarette Surge and Multiple Product Use Offset Declines in Conventional Smoking in South Korea In recognition of World No Tobacco Day, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) released an in-depth analysis based on the 2025 Community Health Survey, which evaluated the health behaviors
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
