In summary, our findings reveal that: (1) the downregulation of p27 increases Jun B expression by upregulating Jun B E3 ligase ITCH, which then boosts miR‐494 transcription; (2) Elevated miR‐494 directly binds to 3′‐UTR of JAK1 mRNA, enhancing its stability and protein expression; and (3) The JAK1/STAT3 pathway is a downstream effector of p27, mediating the oncogenic effect of NNK in lung cancer. The gene discussed is ITCH; the disease is lung cancer.