$4.5 million to $9.21 million. That is how far imports of nicotine-free e-cigarette liquid into South Korea jumped in the first eight months of 2026, a 105 percent surge, according to Korea Customs Service data submitted to Democratic Party lawmaker Lee In-young.
The growth is not a coincidence. Sellers are exploiting a gap in the country’s tobacco laws that leaves nicotine-free and nicotine-analogue products almost entirely unregulated.
The law that left a door open
In April 2026, South Korea amended its Tobacco Business Act. The new rules, which took effect April 24, broadened the legal definition of tobacco beyond products made from tobacco leaves to include anything containing natural or synthetic nicotine. Synthetic-nicotine liquids are now taxed and banned from online sale.
But the amendment only covered natural and synthetic nicotine. Two categories still slip through:
- Nicotine analogues such as 6-methylnicotine, which has a similar molecular structure to nicotine but is not classified as nicotine under the law.
- Nicotine-free products containing neither natural nor synthetic nicotine.
Neither faces restrictions on promotions, online sales, or use in nonsmoking areas. Neither is subject to tobacco taxes or charges. The result is a growing grey market that operates with almost none of the rules that govern the rest of the vaping industry.
What the products do
Nicotine analogues like 6-methylnicotine are designed to mimic nicotine’s effects without legally being nicotine. That raises obvious questions about dependence and safety, and about how these products are marketed. With no advertising restrictions in place, sellers can promote them freely, including online, where age checks are harder to enforce.
Critics in South Korea say the government has been slow to close the loophole, and they have raised concerns over youth access and the health risks of products that are effectively untested by regulators.
A familiar pattern worldwide
The Korean situation echoes a debate playing out in other markets, where new nicotine-like compounds arrive faster than regulators can classify them. For vapers curious about how non-traditional nicotine compounds work, our explainer on Metatine and nicotine-free vaping breaks down the science, and our look at vape safety and FDA status covers what is known about products that sit outside formal approval systems.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily
https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/nicotinefree-vapes-exploit-koreas-tobacco-loophole/12904512