SOUTH KOREA
Tobacco Regulation: South Korea
October 2026: South Korea Detects Group 1 Carcinogens in All 465 Tested Tobacco and Vape Products South Korea’s health authorities have published the country’s first comprehensive public disclosure of toxic chemicals present in commercial tobacco products, revealing that Group 1 human carcinogens – including formaldehyde and benzene – were detected
South Korea: Cigarette Market
October 2026: Non-Operating Gains Drive Net Profit Growth at Philip Morris Korea Despite Core Softness Philip Morris Korea reported a modest top-line revenue growth for 2025, though weakening core business profitability weighed on operating results. According to the company’s 2025 audited financial statements, revenue rose 2.4% to ₩852.97 billion (US$602.8
South Korea: Heated Tobacco Devices
October 2026: KT&G Expands Nationwide Distribution of ‘lil Tonino Lamborghini’ Heated Tobacco Device KT&G announced an aggressive distribution expansion for its latest heated tobacco device, the lil Tonino Lamborghini, significantly increasing its retail presence across major metropolitan areas. Starting October 21, the device will be available at approximately 34,000 convenience
South Korea: Heated Tobacco Sticks
October 2026:Philip Morris Debuts Dual-Flavor TEREA ONYX Capsule Sticks in South Korea Philip Morris has officially expanded its product offerings for the IQOS ILUMA series in South Korea by launching TEREA ONYX, a brand-new lineup of capsule-type tobacco sticks. The launch adds two new tropical-flavored capsule variants, increasing the company’s
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
