BAT Korea CEO: VUSE market response exceeded expectations, Glo market share doubled

Kim Eun-ji, CEO of BAT Korea, said in a media interview that her goal is to drive the development of tobacco alternatives. Since taking office as CEO in 2020, Glo’s market share in South Korea has increased from 6.26% to 11.7%.

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[2Firsts Express] Korea Economic Daily reported on August 29 that Kim Eun-ji, CEO of BAT Korea, said in a media interview that her goal is to drive the development of tobacco alternatives. Since taking office as CEO in 2020, the market share of the heated tobacco product Glo in South Korea has risen from 6.26% to 11.7%.

BAT Korea recently launched the closed-system disposable e-cigarette VUSE GO 800, which uses natural nicotine. All of the product’s nicotine e-liquid is produced in the United States. 

BAT had previously considered launching VUSE in the Korean market, but it needed to comply with South Korea’s nicotine content regulations (below 1%) and provide a formula that matched adult smokers’ taste preferences.

Kim Eun-ji, CEO of BAT Korea | Image source: Korea Economic Daily 

Kim Eun-ji said the response since the product launch has been very positive and has already exceeded expectations, requiring further production increases.

In South Korea’s e-cigarette market, it has been four years since major tobacco companies last relaunched vaping devices. In 2019, after a serious youth lung illness outbreak in the United States, the South Korean government issued guidance “strongly recommending the suspension of liquid-based e-cigarette use.”

Kim Eun-ji said that in response to the government’s guidance, the company will “demonstrate the potential harm-reduction effects by building and securing strong scientific evidence, and reduce differences through ongoing communication.”

She also stated firmly that if an incident like the one in 2019 were to happen again, the vaping device market could disappear. However, she believes BAT will not cause a similar incident.

“We will continue research and development to ensure product quality and safety.” 

She also mentioned that, compared with the past when the company only sold cigarettes, transformation in business and operational direction is inevitable as it shifts from a single-category model to a multi-category one.

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