Can fake evidence also buy cigarettes? South Korea is rectifying the e-cigarette chaos

After inspections by the Seoul Metropolitan Government found widespread non-compliance by liquid e-cigarette retailers and major flaws in the age verification system of vending machines, the Seoul Metropolitan Government launched stricter enforcement actions against South Korea's revised Tobacco Business Act. Between April 24 and June 23, authorities inspected 666 retailers and found that 28.5% of them operated vending machines. Of the 415 machines sampled, 339 used ID for age verification, but in the test, 168 accepted forged or altered IDs, and even 112 were able to identify all fake IDs used. Inspectors also found that the youth warning signs were substandard and there were advertising violations, and many in-store advertisements were clearly visible from the outside. As the use of liquid e-cigarettes continues to rise (especially among teenagers, who will use e-cigarettes more than traditional cigarettes for the first time in 2025), the city will push for stricter identity verification requirements, requiring retailers to improve their age verification systems, issue compliant warning labels, and carry out ongoing inspections, the city said.