Korea closes loophole allowing minors into unmanned vape shops

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.

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.