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Vapes to have same legal status as conventional tobacco products starting from April 24

Published: 09 Apr. 2026, 10:07 Updated: 09 Apr. 2026, 17:25

Liquid-type e-cigarettes are displayed at a store in Seoul. [NEWS1]

People caught vaping in nonsmoking areas across Seoul will face an administrative fine of up to 100,000 won ($68) starting from April 24.

The change comes as liquid-type e-cigarettes — made with synthetic nicotine — are now being subjected to the same regulations as conventional tobacco products, such as cigarettes, under the Tobacco Business Act. Previously, the legal definition of tobacco did not include liquid-type e-cigarettes, which placed them in a regulatory blind spot.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will provide a grace period from next Monday to April 23 to help the revised law take hold before fully implementing the fine and launching a full-scale intensive inspection on April 24.

Due to a lack of clear legal grounds, people who were caught vaping in nonsmoking areas and fined sometimes had those fines revoked. The revision is expected to eliminate such exceptions as liquid-type e-cigarettes will now have the same legal status as conventional tobacco products.

A notice from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, informing users that liquid-type e-cigarettes will count as cigarettes starting from April 24 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Seoul's government will deploy a joint city-district team from April 24 to May 15 to inspect smoking in nonsmoking areas; whether general tobacco retail shops and unmanned outlets, such as tobacco vending machines, are equipped with age-verification devices; and whether tobacco advertisements and labels comply with relevant standards.

The inspection will place particular emphasis on blocking access to vapes for minors. For example, the team will check whether unmanned vending machines carry signs prohibiting sales to minors, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

The city government will also use Wrist Doctor 9988, its health management app, to help people quit the habit entirely. Users who register with a public health center smoking cessation clinic and successfully abstain from smoking for six months can receive up to 19,000 points.

Points in the Wrist Doctor 9988 app can be exchanged 1:1 for Seoul Pay money, which can be used throughout the city.

Expert counseling and applications to smoking cessation programs are also available at all times through the app.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY GO SEUNG-PYO [[email protected]]