Korean HNB Guidelines

In South Korea, HNB products do not have specific regulations, but are managed according to tobacco products and are regulated under the Tobacco Business Law. According to the Tobacco Business Law, tobacco manufacturers and importers are required to display warning images in accordance with the National Health Promotion Law, and the labeling on packaging is subject to the National Health Promotion Law, Tobacco Business Law, and Youth Protection Law. According to the Implementation Order of the National Health Promotion Law, tobacco products are divided into cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, pipe cigarettes, leaf cigarettes, cut tobacco, chewing cigarettes, smelling cigarettes, hookah, dipping cigarettes, etc. Electronic cigarettes are further divided into electronic cigarettes using nicotine liquid and electronic cigarettes using tobacco and tobacco solids, with HNB cigarettes belonging to the latter.

1. The Tobacco Business Law stipulates that no producer or import and export business unit shall use any words, phrases, trademarks, shapes, or any other symbols on tobacco packaging or advertising that may cause misunderstandings about tobacco due to contempt for its health effects or risks. Misleading signs refer to any term, phrase, trademark, shape, or other sign that belongs to any of the following:

light

mild

low-tar 

pure

Similar to items 1 to 4, displaying symbols, shapes, numbers, three-dimensional shapes, or their combinations may dilute the health effects or risks of cigarettes, leading to people's misconceptions about cigarettes.

2. The National Health Promotion Law stipulates that manufacturers or others are not allowed to use words, pictures, or photos on the packaging or advertising of products to indicate that the products contain fragrance substances other than food or tobacco.

3. The label information on the package includes: warning pictures, warning words, carcinogen, smoking cessation advice phone number and the content of "No sales to minors under 19 years old".

Warning: Gothic font is used for the front, back, and side (30% of the side). The content of "Prohibit sales to minors under the age of 19" is printed on the back of a rectangle with a cross-sectional area of at least 1/5 of the back of the cigarette box.

Warning images: front and back

The size of warning images and slogans should account for at least 50%, and warning images should account for at least 30%

Warning images and messages are displayed in rectangular boxes, unless there is a compelling reason, such as when tobacco products are cylindrical in shape, they should be indicated in appropriate boxes. A rectangular box should have 2mm thick black lines, and image text other than warning images should not be displayed inside the box.

All colors such as warning signs should be in sharp contrast to the packaging paper and complementary colors, but the color of the warning signs should be based on the official release. (For detailed written content such as warning images, please refer to Announcement No. 2022-144 of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, applicable from December 23, 2022 to December 22, 24)

4. HNB equipment requires KC certification

5. Warning pictures and words on the HNB cigarette box packaging