According to a report by South Korean media outlet Newsis on December 27, it has been revealed by industry insiders in the South Korean tobacco sector that Swiss-based Philip Morris Products SA, a subsidiary of Philip Morris International, has applied for trademark registration of its heat-not-burn tobacco product SENTIA in Korea. SENTIA is a pod designed specifically for the IQOS ILUMA range but has not yet been launched in the South Korean market.
In the Korean market, only the IQOS ILUMA series device and dedicated pod TEREA are available. However, in Japan, both SENTIA and TEREA are being sold, and with the discontinuation of IQOS HEETS, both pod series are being released simultaneously.
TEREA inherits its flavor from the Marlboro series, while SENTIA is known for inheriting its flavor from the HEETS series of pods. In Japan, SENTIA is cheaper than TEREA, and TEREA also offers more varieties in its range.
Industry speculation suggests that as IQOS HEETS has also been discontinued in South Korea, PMI may be considering introducing SENTIA to enhance the range of e-cigarette options.
According to industry analysts in South Korea, due to the continued strong demand for regular cigarettes, it is likely that Philip Morris will first launch TEREA in the country and then introduce SENTIA based on market response. Philip Morris Products S.A. has already filed trademark applications for SENTIA, as well as various flavors such as Classic Green, Classic Gold, Classic Neon, and Coral.
Philip Morris Products S.A. has been continuously applying for trademarks for several heated tobacco products that have not yet been released in South Korea. In October of this year, Philip Morris Products S.A. also applied for vapeIQOS VEEV, and the related procedures are currently ongoing. IQOS Mesh, which was introduced in the UK in 2016, was renamed IQOS VEEV in 2020 and has been launched in over ten countries including Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Ukraine, and New Zealand.
Philip Morris Korea spokesperson stated, “There are currently no plans to sell SENTIA in the South Korean market.
