The market share of electronic cigarettes has nearly reached ten percent of South Korea's tobacco market.

According to data from the Finance Ministry Tuesday, one-point-68 billion packs of cigarettes were sold during the first half of this year, with e-cigarettes accounting for nine-point-three percent of the total.

E-cigarettes took up four-point-two percent of total cigarette sales during the second half of last year, reflecting a five-point-one percentage point increase in just six months.

Meanwhile, the combined sales of conventional tobacco and e-cigarettes in South Korea declined one-point-six percent in the year's first six months compared to a year earlier.

Noting that tobacco sales have dropped by more than 17 percent since 2014, before the cigarette price hike, the Finance Ministry said the government-led anti-smoking campaign, including tax hikes, have produced steady results.