South Korea releases draft for testing harmful substances in tobacco

In the past, South Korea mainly stipulated packaging requirements for tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco, and released colored graphic and textual health warning templates; For harmful substances in products, they are mainly managed through the Chemical Substance Control Law. Recently, the South Korean Food and Drug Safety Service (MFDS) issued a notice (No. 2025-250) officially announcing the administrative notice of the "Regulations on Harmful Substances in Tobacco (Draft)", which is planned to be implemented simultaneously with the "Tobacco Hazard Management Related Laws" on November 1, 2025. This marks a further tightening and systematization of regulation in the tobacco and electronic cigarette product sectors in South Korea.

The main content is as follows:

1. Regulatory purpose

By specifying the harmful ingredients to be tested and corresponding testing methods, the regular inspection efficiency of harmful ingredients in tobacco products such as cigarettes, non combustible tobacco, and electronic cigarette products can be improved, and tobacco hazard management can be strengthened.

2. Component detection

Cigarettes and heated non combustible tobacco products (HTP): 44 harmful ingredients (including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, lead, arsenic, acrylonitrile, etc.) need to be tested.

Electronic cigarette products containing e-liquid: 20 harmful ingredients (including nicotine, glycerin, propylene glycol, heavy metals, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, etc.) need to be tested.

3. Detailed testing methods, including but not limited to:

Sampling, sample preparation, and testing environment details

Sample pretreatment method

Reagent standards and instrument methods (such as GC/FID, GC/MS, NDIR, etc.)

4. Regular review mechanism

MFDS will review the effectiveness of standards every three years based on January 1, 2026, and optimize testing requirements according to technological advancements or emerging risks.

If you have any questions, please contact us. We will wholeheartedly provide you with high-quality testing and certification services to help our products comply with regulations and efficiently enter the Korean market.