Korea restricts minors’ access to vape shops
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South Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to prevent people under 19 from entering or working in unmanned e-cigarette stores.
The ministry announced the forthcoming legislation on Monday, beginning a public notice period that lasts to October 6. Currently, loopholes in regulations allowed minors to purchase e-cigarettes from stores without staff present, as these businesses operate through vending machines. The new rules require unmanned e-cigarette businesses to display signs prohibiting entry and employment of minors.
Businesses must also implement age verification measures to prevent sales to underage customers. Yoon Se-jin, the ministry’s director of youth policy, explained that the lack of salespeople in these stores made it difficult to stop minors from buying e-cigarettes directly. This change responds to increasing public concern about youth access to e-cigarettes. The ministry intends to strengthen regulations and limit the availability of these products to minors in unmanned stores, building on existing restrictions.
