Unified Age Law Effective from the 28th... What Is the Legal Age for Purchasing Alcohol and Tobacco?

The Age Criteria for Youth Under the Youth Protection Act Remain Unchanged

Starting from the 28th, as the Age of Full Age Act is enforced, interest in the age at which one can purchase alcohol or tobacco is also increasing.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced on the 27th that even with the enforcement of the Age of Full Age Act, the age of youth under the Youth Protection Act will remain the same as it currently is, so the age for purchasing alcohol and tobacco will not change.

Under the current Youth Protection Act, youth are defined as "persons under the age of 19, excluding those who have reached January 1 of the year they turn 19," and as of 2023, those born in 2004 are eligible to purchase alcohol and tobacco.

The youth age standard was established to guarantee the free social and educational activities of those considered adults by social convention, such as university students and working youth, and the same standard has been applied since 2001.

Park Nansook, Director of the Youth and Family Policy Office at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stated, “Along with the establishment of the culture of using full age following the enforcement of the Age of Full Age Act, we will strengthen public awareness campaigns to prevent confusion in the field due to the exceptions under the Youth Protection Act.”