IQOS Presale in Seoul Draws Huge Crowds and Long Lines

In February, the Korea Times reported that the competition for the electronic cigarette market in South Korea was about to heat up. This is because Philip Morris Korea is considering launching its flagship product, IQOS, in South Korea at the fastest speed this year.

 
Currently, IQOS has been launched in Seoul, South Korea! It started presales on May 27.
  

In South Korea, the retail price of the IQOS device set is 120,000 won (approximately 107 USD), and a pack of 20 HEETS sticks is priced at 4,300 won. Each HEETS stick contains 0.5 mg of nicotine and will be available in four flavors, marked in silver, amber, green, and blue.
 
Last April, when IQOS was first launched in Japan, consumers lined up to purchase the product. This time, during the presale in South Korea, reports indicate that a similar scene unfolded, with thousands lining up to rush into stores to buy it.

After the presale on the 27th, when will it officially go on sale? In mid-May, Philip Morris Korea held a press conference announcing that it would start selling in the official IQOS stores in Gwanghwamun and Garosu-gil, as well as CU convenience stores and selected Electromart outlets on June 5. Sales will expand to other regions of the country later this year. Philip Morris Korea CEO Chong Il-woo stated at the press conference, "Our vision is a smoke-free future."

  The presale of IQOS in South Korea has been so popular that it seems the competition between Philip Morris International and several large multinational tobacco companies in South Korea, such as British American Tobacco Korea, Japan Tobacco International Korea, and KT&G, will become even more intense.