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Which TEREA names turn up in South Korea?
Korean media reports on the local line-up mention international names such as Amber, Silver, Russet, Teak, Black Yellow, Black Purple, Yugen and Black Ruby. This set looks much more like the names used in Switzerland and the UK than Japan's Regular and Menthol system, even though Japan is South Korea's closest neighbour among ILUMA markets.
Several of these names, such as Russet and Teak, also appear in Europe.
For how the UK scores those shared names, see our European TEREA page, which compares Switzerland with the UK.
The Korean list is therefore easier to read for anyone who already knows the European names than for readers used to Japan.
How far can the Korean information here be relied on?
Our Korean list comes from business media reports of Philip Morris Korea's product statements, not from an official product page like the ones we use for Japan and Indonesia. It is reasonably reliable but not equal to an official list. Names such as Black Purple and Black Yellow recur in reports over several years, suggesting they are established rather than short trials.
Anyone needing the most current list should check the company's own Korean channels directly.
Why Japan can be confirmed more firmly is explained on our TEREA Japan page, which rests on a structured official list.
Throughout this page, figures drawn from those reports are marked as approximate so that readers can judge their weight themselves.
How is the Korean line-up grouped?
According to the reports, three main groups exist: Special Blend with eight names, Tobacco Blend with about six, and Fresh Blend with about four. A capsule group of roughly six or seven names stands apart. Altogether that is about eighteen to twenty names, though launches and discontinuations change the count regularly.
The figures describe the period we checked and are approximate by nature.
The capsule idea behind the separate group is explained on our Pearl capsule page, which applies to every market.
Group names such as Special Blend describe how the reports sort the range; they are not flavour descriptions in themselves.
Why would two neighbouring markets name the same range so differently?
Each local affiliate develops its own line-up and naming. Japan chose a finely divided Regular and Menthol system, while South Korea adopted international names close to Europe. Influences likely include local taste preferences, national labelling rules and the strategy of each country's company. The same pattern appears between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Geography, in other words, is a poor guide to naming.
The Malaysia and Indonesia contrast, including Indonesia's clove editions, is covered on our TEREA Malaysia page.
A reader should therefore never assume that a name known in one East Asian market will appear on packs in the next.
Does South Korea use Japan's Regular category?
Not according to the reports we could check. South Korea's tobacco-only sticks carry international names such as Amber, Silver, Russet and Teak, the same style of name found in several European countries. Readers who know European names will therefore recognise Korean packs faster than readers used to Japanese Regular names.
Both systems describe tobacco without menthol; only the labels differ.
Japan's seven Regular names are listed on our Regular category page for anyone comparing the two.
The Korean approach groups sticks by blend family instead, which is why no Korean pack uses the word Regular as a category label.
Do Korean and Japanese capsule sticks share any names?
Yes, partly. Sun Pearl and Oasis Pearl appear in both markets' capsule groups, which is one reason readers assume the two line-ups are the same. Outside the capsule sticks, however, the naming of tobacco-only and menthol sticks diverges clearly, as the comparison table on this page shows.
A shared capsule name should not be read as proof that the whole line-up matches.
For how capsule and non-capsule names are organised overall, see our guide to TEREA stick types.
Outside the capsule group, a reader comparing the two markets should expect to find almost no shared names at all.
Which devices are used with TEREA in South Korea?
As in every market carrying TEREA, the compatible devices are the ILUMA family with induction heating. There is no mechanical difference between Korean ILUMA devices and those elsewhere, because induction is the same technology worldwide. What may differ is which model variants were introduced in each country and when.
Market differences therefore lie in naming and flavour choice, not hardware.
The ILUMA models are compared on our IQOS devices overview, including the newer ILUMA i generation.
Because the hardware principle is identical, a question about compatibility has the same answer in Seoul as in Tokyo or Zurich.
How can a Korean pack be distinguished from a Japanese one?
The script is the clearest sign: Korean packs rely mainly on Hangul, whereas Japanese packs use a mix of kanji and katakana. The English variant names also tend to differ, following each market's naming system. Whatever the origin, official advice says heated tobacco sticks and devices are not allowed in Thailand.
The Thai rules are summarised on our TEREA legal status page.
Travellers heading elsewhere can compare destinations through our rules abroad section.
Label script tells you where a pack came from, but it says nothing about whether that pack may be carried into another country.
| Group | Example names in South Korea | Comparable names in Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Tobacco without menthol | Amber, Silver, Russet, Teak | Regular, Rich Regular, Smooth Regular |
| Menthol with fruit | Black Purple, Black Yellow, Black Ruby | Black Purple Menthol, Black Yellow Menthol |
| Capsule | Sun Pearl, Oasis Pearl | Sun Pearl, Oasis Pearl |
Frequently asked questions
Are the Korean and Japanese TEREA line-ups identical?
How many TEREA names does South Korea have?
Are Korean ILUMA devices technically different?
What is the source for the Korean names on this page?
What is Fresh Blend in the Korean line-up?
Which script appears on Korean TEREA packs?
Sources
- IQOS イルマ専用たばこ テリア — IQOS Japan (official TEREA line-up page)
- 미래경영경제신문 — Philip Morris Korea TEREA fresh blend product report
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