South Korea warns of 'serious risk' from vaping

South Korea has vowed to tighten regulations on vaping products and speed up an investigation into whether to ban sales.

"The current situation is considered as a serious risk to public health," South Korea's health minister Park Neung-hoo told a press briefing, citing the pneumonia case of a 30-year-old South Korean e-cigarette user earlier this month.

"Children, juveniles, pregnant women, and people with pulmonary diseases, never use liquid e-cigarettes. Non-smokers, too, never use liquid e-cigarettes from now," the minister added.

Many countries have pulled electronic cigarette products from the market following the 33 deaths and 1,479 confirmed and probable cases from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping in the US.