Major Tobacco Act Reform After 37 Years: The End of the 'Synthetic Nicotine' Era and a New Regulatory Order

Starting April 24, synthetic nicotine liquid e-cigarettes are classified as legal tobacco products, making such scenes subject to enforcement in non-smoking areas indoors. What Changes Starting Today April 24, 2026. Beginning today, South Korea's tobacco regulation landscape changes fundamentally. With the revised Tobacco Business Act taking effect today (April 24), liquid-type e-cigarettes made from synthetic nicotine are classified as legal tobacco products for the first time. This marks the first change to the legal definition of tobacco in 37 years since the enactment of the Tobacco Business Act in 1988. The synthetic nicotine-based e-cigarette market—which has been called a 'regulatory blind spot' for the past several years, with unmanned stores opening on every corner, teenagers purchasing products without verification, and no taxes being paid—falls under comprehensive legal contro…