South Korea’s Cabinet has moved to close regulatory and tax loopholes around liquid e-cigarettes — including those that use synthetic nicotine or other nicotine substitutes — citing growing safety concerns.

At a Cabinet meeting on December 16 chaired by President Lee Jae-myung, the government approved amendments to the Tobacco Business Act that legally classify liquid e-cigarettes as tobacco products. The revised law expands the definition of cigarettes from products made from tobacco leaves to any product containing tobacco or nicotine, bringing synthetic-nicotine liquids under formal regulation.

President Lee warned that nicotine substitutes have been circulated without sufficient safety verification and called for stronger institutional oversight. Officials also raised reports of suspected lung damage linked to liquid e-cigarette use.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol said products released four months after the law takes effect will be regulated and taxed as cigarettes. He cautioned, however, that the government’s regulatory reach is limited for so-called “nicotine-free” products produced before the law’s implementation, and that those items will require separate management and hazard assessments.

The revision is intended to eliminate regulatory and taxation blind spots and to gradually strengthen safety management for nicotine substitutes.

This article was adapted from an original report published on tobaccoreporter.com. All rights belong to the original publisher.