According to the Community Health Survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), smoking prevalence decreased after the COVID-19 pandemic, reports The Korea Bizwire.

Figures from the KDCA Community Health Survey show that compared to the three-year period before the pandemic (2017 to 2019), the adult smoking rate decreased by 1.8 per cent from 21.2 per cent to 19.4 per cent after the pandemic. The smoking rate for men went down by 3.8 per cent from 39.6 per cent to 35.8 per cent during the same period.
According to The Korea Bizwire, the survey found that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an overall improvement in public behaviour, including smoking, drinking, and the utilization of medical services. Physical activity which had reached its lowest point also saw a boost.
The monthly drinking rate was down by 5.4 per cent and the amount of people trying to reduce their weight was up by 3.5 per cent. On the other hand, the obesity rate increased by 1.8 per cent to 32 per cent.