South Korea is grappling with a surge in obesity and e-cigarette use. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s tobacco market is undergoing a seismic shift, with traditional cigarettes giving way to e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco products that promise less smoke and odor — but are raising fresh public health concerns.
A government-commissioned report released Thursday by the Korean Society for Smoking Cessation, titled “2024 In-Depth Study of Tobacco Product Distribution and Smoking Behavior in Korea,” reveals a striking decline in conventional cigarette use alongside the rapid rise of newer, flavored, and electronic alternatives.
The study warns that this trend could undermine anti-smoking efforts and, in some cases, even reverse them among specific age and gender groups.
E-Cigarettes Surge as Traditional Cigarettes Decline
The volume of traditional cigarette sales dropped by 3.2% over five years, from 6.4 billion packs in 2018 to about 6.2 billion in 2023. In contrast, heated tobacco products (HTPs) nearly doubled during the same period, from 65.4 million units to 122.2 million.
Market analysts at Euromonitor estimate the value of the HTP market in South Korea will reach 5.2 trillion won (approximately $3.8 billion) by 2028.
Liquid e-cigarettes (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Flavored Tobacco Fuels Uptake Among Youth and Women
Flavored tobacco — long criticized for its appeal to younger users — now accounts for nearly half of all tobacco sales in the country, up from just 9.8% in 2013 to 48% in the first half of 2024. These products often use capsule-based technology to deliver flavors while masking smell, lowering the psychological barrier to smoking initiation, particularly among women and young adults.
Alarming Uptick in Smoking Rates Despite Long-Term Decline
While adult smoking rates had been on a gradual decline over the past decade, 2023 marked a troubling reversal: smoking rates among both men and women rose. The most significant increases were recorded among men in their 50s (up 9.6 percentage points) and women in their 20s (up 6.3 percentage points), a shift experts attribute to the availability of new smoking alternatives and a declining stigma around tobacco use.
A vending machine at an unmanned e-cigarette store near a school in Mapo District, Seoul (Yonhap)
Big Data Reveals Hidden Consumption Trends
The study distinguishes itself by using actual consumer purchase receipt data, offering a more granular picture of real-world behavior. It found that women tend to buy tobacco in larger quantities per purchase than men, and that younger users gravitate toward e-liquids, while older smokers still favor conventional cigarettes.
This contrasts with traditional survey data, suggesting that official statistics may underreport actual consumption.
New Threats: Synthetic Nicotine and Nicotine Pouches
The report also warns of emerging products that evade current regulation, including synthetic nicotine and nicotine pouches, which are marketed as “nicotine-free” despite their potency. These alternatives are increasingly being sold online and discussed across social media platforms.
The authors urge immediate government action, noting that synthetic nicotine and related substances may be more addictive than natural nicotine and pose unique threats to both smokers and non-smokers.
“The spread of novel tobacco products may lower public caution toward smoking and make quitting harder for current users,” the report states. “Strong preemptive regulation is needed to close legal loopholes and protect public health.”
As South Korea confronts a fast-changing tobacco landscape, the report calls for a renewed national strategy — one that addresses both traditional and emerging threats — to safeguard the progress made in smoking cessation over the past decades.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
