S. Korea: Alcohol makers allowed to choose text or pictogram under new warning

Seoul, Nov 29 The government plans to introduce a new warning label system for alcoholic beverages that allows manufacturers to choose either a text warning or a pictogram starting next September, according to officials on Saturday.

According to the health ministry, companies must newly include a drunk-driving warning on soju, beer and all other alcoholic products, but they may select one method of display -- either a written warning text or an illustrated pictogram -- under a revision to the enforcement rule of the National Health Promotion Act, reports Yonhap news agency.

The changes aim to ensure consumers recognize the risks of alcohol consumption before drinking, according to officials.

The revised rules follow the legislative amendment to the National Health Promotion Act promulgated in March. To allow preparation time for the alcohol industry, the new labeling requirements will take effect on September 19, 2026.

Meanwhile, the government plans to amend tobacco-related laws to designate synthetic nicotine as a type of tobacco in order to regulate the product category seeing growing popularity among young smokers, according to officials.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy and Finance plan to push for a revision of the law to include synthetic nicotine in the definition of tobacco under the Tobacco Business Act, according to officials.

In South Korea, tobacco-related laws are mandated under the National Health Promotion Act, under the jurisdiction of the health ministry, and the Tobacco Business Act governed by the finance ministry.

They stipulate a tobacco product is "what is manufactured in a state suitable for smoking, sucking, inhaling steam, chewing or smelling, by using tobacco leaves as all or any part of the raw materials."

According to such language, the liquid of synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes is not classified as tobacco. As such, synthetic nicotine is currently not subject to oversight measures, such as requiring warnings labels of potential health issues.

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