Vaping Culture in Seoul

There is a new store in my neighborhood, wedged between Banapresso Coffee Shop and a restaurant called Onghaeya. A high-end women’s clothing boutique formerly occupied that spot, followed by a sushi joint. They have been succeeded by Max Vape. Just a few days ago, Yong Yoon and I went to investigate.

First, though, we stood outside and pondered a large bouquet of fake flowers and some words in hangeul script that indicated “good luck in business.” I am willing to say the same thing, but I am utterly puzzled about every aspect of vaping. As with its cousin vice, RAP disapproves it, he boo-oo-oo’s it! *

In we went, and there behind the counter were Park Dae-in and his mid-20s employee. Both, you may not be surprised to learn, were vaping and blowing big plumes of smoke. The young guy, whose name we did not catch, did most of the talking. He was tall, with a cool beard, two pierced ears, and tats up and down both arms. Having lived in Miami for several years, he spoke excellent English. Mr. Yoon, whom I had brought along for translation purposes, was rendered superfluous.

I asked both gentlemen, is vaping growing in popularity in Korea? Are there more vapers now than smokers? Is it safer than smoking? Is it expensive? Is it considered “cool”? Is this a way for people to stop smoking? Is it addictive?

He told us how these “e-cigarettes” work, that some young Koreans vape because it carries less stigma than smoking and that the percentage of nicotine varies from one flavor to another. Max Vape has about 100, he said. Whether they include Suicide Bunny, Five Pawns, Sex on the Beach, Caterpillar, Dragon Juice, Mag 7, Ameliquid, Moon Mountain or Quick Nic Juice—all available at a vape shop just a few blocks away—I failed to ask.

Our young vaper informed us that many people like to vape after work and while singing at karoake bars (known here as noraebangs), and that the best vaping flavors come from the United States. His eyes lit up when stating that fact, as if the American stuff is just far and away better than what is available elsewhere. He told us that the average e-device is good for 5,000 “puffs” before the flavor is depleted or the battery—I did not know these things were battery-operated—runs down and has to be recharged.

One thing he did allude to during our visit to Max Vape was something called “throat hit.” That, I have since learned, is the feeling you get when inhaling on an e-cig. The vapor caresses or blasts the back of your throat, causing a pleasurable sensation. He even used a term I remember from my long-ago college days: buzz. I knew there had to be a reason why I see so many young Koreans—men and women alike—out on the streets, vaping like there is no tomorrow. Both he and Mr. Park invited me to give it a try, but I could not demur fast enough.

I should have reminded him that five years ago, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine in the U.S. released a consensus report on 800 different studies. The results were far from benign. It concluded that e-cigarettes both contain and emit several potentially toxic substances. No thanks.

While I find all of this perplexing, I wish them well. Max Vape is an independent entity and not a franchise, but I hope (and I am not being disingenuous in saying it) that they thrive. Maybe three, five or seven years from now, Max Vape will be the leader in Korea with shops from the DMZ all the way down to the south coast of Jeju Island.

* I appropriated this line from the Stevie Wonder song “I Was Made to Love Her.”

Inside Max Vape…

A one-stop shop for Seoul vapers!

Yong Yoon pretends to vape…

Fake flowers celebrate the opening of Max Vape…