[Photo] Smoking rates among S. Korean decline by nearly half, but obesity rates rise

Throughout the past 20 years, smoking rates among South Korean men have dwindled by nearly half, but obesity rates have risen significantly in the same time period, with four out of every 10 men being categorized as obese. According to data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Korea, 36.7% of South Korean males over age 19 smoked as of 2018, compared to 66.3% 20 years earlier. Conversely, 7.5% of South Korean women were smokers for the same period, compared to 6.5% 20 years earlier. Obesity rates for women differed significantly according to class, with 15.8% in upper income brackets classified as obese compared to 31.4% of women in lower income brackets. (2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey)