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Liquid e-cigarettes to be banned from being sold online, require warning labels

Published: 23 Apr. 2026, 18:10

An e-cigarette store in Mapo District, western Seoul [YONHAP]

Online sales of liquid electronic cigarettes made with synthetic nicotine will be fully banned and required to have warning labels similar to those on conventional cigarettes starting this week, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said on Thursday.

The measures are part of comprehensive regulatory steps announced by the ministry a day before the revised Tobacco Business Act takes effect.

Under the revision, the definition of tobacco will be expanded to include both tobacco leaves and nicotine, natural or synthetic, bringing liquid e-cigarettes that use synthetic nicotine under the regulatory framework.

Accordingly, manufacturers and importers will be required to obtain approval from the Finance Ministry and register with provincial governments before selling related products.

E-cigarettes will also be subject to taxes, including the individual consumption tax. However, a 50 percent tax reduction will apply for the next two years to mitigate the impact on the market, according to the ministry.

Additionally, online sales, distribution to minors and promotional activities involving e-cigarettes — as well as opening products to add substances to resell them — will be banned.

Like their conventional counterparts, the use of liquid e-cigarettes will be prohibited in no-smoking areas.

Cigarettes are on display at a convenience store in Seoul on Jan. 15. [YONHAP]

Manufacturers must attach warning images and labels on packaging and disclose ingredients, including the nicotine content. They will also be required to conduct testing for harmful substances every two years and be banned from labeling flavoring substances.

To sell directly to consumers, vendors must be designated as tobacco retailers by local governments, the ministry stressed.

Separately, the government plans to promptly conduct safety assessments on “nicotine analog” products, which simulate the effects of nicotine with synthetic chemical compounds — such as 6-methylnicotine, not currently classified as tobacco — and to consider appropriate safety measures and regulatory responses.

Yonhap