A smoking booth installed in Euljiro, Seoul (Photo courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government).
SEOUL, Nov. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – With the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, South Korea is increasingly accommodating users by introducing dedicated smoking spaces, reflecting a broader shift in attitudes toward smoking alternatives.
E-cigarette-exclusive lounges have emerged in places like Incheon International Airport and major commercial hubs, catering to smokers who wish to avoid the strong odors and cramped conditions of traditional smoking booths.
Incheon Airport, for instance, has operated three e-cigarette lounges since June—one each in Terminals 1, 2, and a concourse. These facilities, converted from existing smoking areas, have been redesigned to eliminate ashtrays and mitigate lingering odors from conventional cigarettes.
According to the airport, these lounges serve an average of 4,000 users daily, with a satisfaction rate of 4.2 out of 5, as measured by a September survey.
The rise of e-cigarette smoking parallels shifting smoking trends in South Korea. While overall tobacco product usage increased marginally from 21.6% in 2019 to 22.2% in 2023, e-cigarette usage has grown significantly.
A view of a designated smoking area in downtown Seoul. (Yonhap)
Data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) revealed that e-cigarette usage among adults rose from 5.1% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023. Notably, usage among women doubled during the same period, from 1.0% to 2.1%, while male usage surged from 9.4% to 14.2%.
Despite South Korea’s overall focus on anti-smoking policies, the growing prevalence of e-cigarettes has prompted a rethinking of how public smoking spaces are designed. Globally, Incheon Airport remains the only top-10 international airport to provide exclusive e-cigarette smoking lounges.
“We prioritized convenience for both traditional and e-cigarette smokers by considering accessibility and foot traffic in our lounge locations,” an airport spokesperson said, adding that future expansions and stricter guidelines to prevent the misuse of e-cigarette spaces for traditional smoking are under review.
The trend extends beyond airports. In Seoul’s Songpa District, Lotte World Tower offers dedicated e-cigarette areas, as do shopping centers like Starfield Suwon and Starfield City Wirye. Local governments in districts such as Gangnam and Seongdong have also piloted separate smoking booths for traditional and e-cigarette users.
While countries like Japan focus on minimizing secondhand smoke through segregation rather than outright bans, South Korea’s growing emphasis on dedicated e-cigarette facilities reflects the balance it seeks between accommodating smokers and protecting public health.
This evolving approach highlights the need to address changing smoking habits and their impact on urban environments.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
