Multilevel normative tensions under partial outdoor smoke-free policies: A qualitative case study in Seoul, South Korea.

Objective: This study explored normative perceptions and tobacco use practices under partial outdoor smoke-free regulation in Yeouido, a high-density business district in Seoul, South Korea. Methods: This qualitative single-case study used semi-structured online interviews with 18 adults who currently used tobacco (14 male, 4 female) and had sustained connections to Yeouido. Data were collected from April to May 2023 and analyzed using a six-step qualitative analysis procedure. Results: Participants recognized Yeouido's smoke-free transition through local policy cues such as signage, enforcement, and the limited availability of designated smoking areas. However, workplace culture continued to reinforce tobacco use as a means of stress relief and relationship-building. Despite broader societal disapproval, workplace interactions reinforced in-group norms that legitimized continued tobacco use. Participants adapted by changing when, where, or how they used tobacco rather than quitting, and perceived that tobacco use was displaced to less regulated spaces. Conclusions: Partial outdoor smoke-free policies may produce adaptive rather than reductive behavioral responses in dense workplace settings. Effective tobacco control may therefore require coordinated strategies that address normative dynamics across individual, organizational, and societal levels, alongside complementary settings-based interventions.