Seoul city officials conduct an inspection at an e-cigarette retailer. Photo courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
As adolescent use of liquid e-cigarettes rises, flaws in age-verification systems have surfaced, with three out of 10 vending machines passing authentication even with forged or altered IDs. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched crackdowns on non-smoking zones and inspections of retailers.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, the city inspected 666 e-cigarette retailers from April 24 to June 23 to review on-site compliance and reduce confusion in line with expanded regulations under the revised Tobacco Business Act. The amendment includes liquid e-cigarettes among items banned in non-smoking zones and strengthens obligations for sales, advertising, and youth protection.
The inspection found that 190 stores (28.5%) operated vending machines, and that youth protection devices, warning labels, and compliance with advertising rules were generally inadequate.
The vulnerability of vending machine age-verification systems was particularly pronounced. Of a total of 415 machines, 339 allowed authentication with an ID, and 168 of these passed authentication even with forged or altered IDs. In addition, 112 machines recognized all forged IDs used in the test, showing that youth access-blocking functions did not work properly.
The posting of warnings against sales to minors was also insufficient. Only 58.6% of retailers posted warnings inside their premises, and among stores operating vending machines, only 33.2% posted them. A considerable number of these also failed to meet size standards.
Advertising management also needed improvement. A total of 56.3% of retailers posted advertisements inside their premises, and 67.7% of these were also visible from outside, violating regulations.
Liquid e-cigarette use is currently on the rise. The usage rate among adult men in Seoul rose from 3.4% in 2022 to 6.5% in 2025, while among adolescents, the 2025 usage rate of 2.4% surpassed the conventional cigarette smoking rate (2.2%) for the first time.
Based on the inspection results, the Seoul Metropolitan Government recommended to relevant agencies that the vending machine age-verification system be improved. The city’s position is that related laws and regulations need to be supplemented, including by strengthening functions to identify forged or altered IDs.
In addition, the city plans to request that retailers improve their age-verification devices and to produce and distribute warning labels prohibiting sales to minors that meet size standards. It also plans to continue inspections and guidance to help the system take root.
“For liquid e-cigarette regulations to be effective, changes in both the system and the field must take place together,” said Cho Young-chang, director general of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Citizens’ Health Bureau. “We will make citizens’ health our top priority and work to create a smoke-free environment.”
Image courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government