Korea closes loophole allowing minors into unmanned vape shops

The government will pre-announce legislation to bar minors from entering or working at unmanned e-cigarette stores in South Korea, with the notice period running until Oct. 6. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said the move targets a loophole that let under-19 buyers access e-cigarettes at self-service shops. The rule requires such businesses to post bans and check customers’ ages. It follows concerns over nicotine-free and nicotine-imitation products exploiting gaps in tobacco rules.

The notice period for the planned legislation will run until Oct. 6.

The rule applies to unmanned businesses that sell e-cigarette devices and liquids through vending machines without a store owner or staff present.

Under the measure, businesses must post signs barring minors from entering or being hired and take age-checking steps to keep people under 19 out.

Published Sep 14, 2026 2:57 pm KST

A shop employee organizes synthetic nicotine e-liquids in Seoul, Feb. 3. Newsis

Minors will be barred from entering or working at unmanned e-cigarette stores, as the government moves to close a regulatory gap that has let them buy e-cigarettes unchecked.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Monday that it will pre-announce legislation aimed at blocking the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes to minors at unmanned stores, during a notice period that will run until Oct. 6.

The rule applies to businesses that sell e-cigarette devices and liquids through vending machines without a store owner or staff present. Such businesses must post signs barring minors from entering or being hired and take measures such as checking customers' ages to keep people aged under 19 out.

"Because unmanned e-cigarette stores have no salespeople present, it is difficult to stop minors from entering and buying products on the spot," said Yoon Se-jin, the ministry's director of youth policy. "We will work to tighten the system so that minors cannot easily access e-cigarettes."

The move follows growing concern that minors could still buy e-cigarettes at unmanned stores even after e-cigarettes were legally classified as tobacco earlier this year.

In April, a revision to the Tobacco Business Act took effect extending the legal definition of tobacco from traditional leaf-based products to cover natural and synthetic nicotine.

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Korea brings e-cigarettes under tobacco law, banning online sales

Under the revised law, use of e-cigarettes is banned in facilities such as schools, hospitals and government offices, as well as in designated outdoor no-smoking zones. Online sales of e-cigarettes are banned, and health warnings including nicotine content and ingredient disclosures must appear on packaging. Sales to minors are prohibited, along with any promotional activities targeting them.

The revised law came amid a global push to tighten tobacco regulations. In April, Britain's Parliament cleared a bill permanently banning anyone born in 2009 or later from purchasing tobacco, and the Maldives enacted a similar measure last year, barring sales to those born in or after 2007.

But the Tobacco Business Act defines tobacco only as products made from tobacco leaf or nicotine, leaving nicotine-free and nicotine-imitation substances outside the regulatory net. Some unmanned shops and online retailers exploited that gap, shifting their offerings to nicotine-free and nicotine-imitation liquids.

In response, the government announced cautionary measures in June for liquid inhalant products marketed as nicotine-free.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to complete a hazard assessment of 6-methylnicotine this year and study how to prepare for new nicotine-imitation substances.

Many nicotine-imitation products in circulation use 6-methylnicotine, which has a molecular structure resembling that of nicotine. It has been reported to show cytotoxicity, but its health risks have not been sufficiently verified yet.

Other agencies, including the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, will keep monitoring such substances and review regulatory options based on the findings.

The National Assembly Research Service, in its 2026 audit issue analysis, said the government should examine whether a central coordinating body is needed to oversee the relevant ministries.

It also called for quickly adopting rules for advertising, vending machines and disclosure regarding imitation products, citing similar systems in Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

韩国政府将提前公布一项立法，禁止未成年人进入或在韩国的无人值守电子烟商店工作，公告期至10月6日。韩国性别平等与家庭部表示，此举旨在填补此前允许19岁以下未成年人在自助商店购买电子烟的漏洞。新规要求此类商店张贴禁令并核实顾客年龄。此前，由于无尼古丁和尼古丁仿制品利用烟草法规的漏洞牟利，引发了人们的担忧。

该项立法提案的公示期将持续到10月6日。

该规定适用于通过自动售货机销售电子烟设备和烟油，且没有店主或员工在场的无人值守商家。

根据这项措施，商家必须张贴告示禁止未成年人进入或雇用未成年人，并采取年龄检查措施，防止 19 岁以下的人进入。

发布于2026年9月14日下午2:57（韩国标准时间）

2月3日，首尔，一名商店员工正在整理合成尼古丁电子烟油。（Newsis）

政府将禁止未成年人进入或在无人值守的电子烟商店工作，以填补监管漏洞，此前该漏洞允许未成年人不受监管地购买电子烟。

性别平等和家庭部周一表示，将在10月6日之前的通知期内，预先公布一项旨在阻止在无人值守商店向未成年人销售和分发电子烟的立法。

该规定适用于通过自动售货机销售电子烟设备和烟油，且店主或员工不在场的商家。此类商家必须张贴告示，禁止未成年人进入或雇用，并采取措施，例如核查顾客年龄，以防止19岁以下人士进入。

“由于无人值守的电子烟商店没有销售人员，很难阻止未成年人进入并当场购买产品，”韩国社会事务部青少年政策司司长尹世珍表示，“我们将努力完善相关制度，防止未成年人轻易获得电子烟。”

此举源于人们日益担忧，即使电子烟在今年早些时候已被合法归类为烟草，未成年人仍然可能在无人值守的商店购买电子烟。

今年 4 月，《烟草商业法》的一项修订生效，将烟草的法律定义从传统的叶状产品扩展到涵盖天然和合成尼古丁。

宣称“不含尼古丁”的电子烟引发担忧，因为检测发现其中含有尼古丁及其类似物。

韩国将电子烟纳入烟草法管辖范围，禁止网上销售。

根据修订后的法律，学校、医院、政府机关等场所及指定的室外禁烟区禁止使用电子烟。电子烟的线上销售也被禁止，包装上必须标明尼古丁含量和成分等健康警示。向未成年人销售电子烟以及针对未成年人的任何促销活动均被禁止。

这项修订后的法律出台之际，正值全球范围内加强烟草管制的趋势。今年4月，英国议会通过了一项法案，永久禁止2009年及以后出生的人购买烟草；马尔代夫去年也实施了类似措施，禁止向2007年及以后出生的人出售烟草。

但《烟草商业法》仅将烟草定义为由烟叶或尼古丁制成的产品，将不含尼古丁和尼古丁仿制品排除在监管范围之外。一些无人商店和在线零售商利用了这一漏洞，将产品转向不含尼古丁和尼古丁仿制品的液体。

对此，政府于6月宣布对以不含尼古丁为卖点的液体吸入剂产品采取谨慎措施。

食品药品安全部计划今年完成对 6-甲基尼古丁的危害评估，并研究如何应对新的尼古丁仿制品。

市面上许多尼古丁仿制品都使用6-甲基尼古丁，其分子结构与尼古丁相似。据报道，6-甲基尼古丁具有细胞毒性，但其健康风险尚未得到充分证实。

包括财政经济省和卫生福利部在内的其他机构将继续监测此类物质，并根据调查结果审查监管方案。

国民议会研究服务处在其 2026 年审计问题分析中表示，政府应审查是否需要一个中央协调机构来监督相关部委。

报告还呼吁尽快制定有关广告、自动售货机和仿冒产品信息披露的规则，并援引加拿大、英国和欧盟的类似制度。