Smoking is still relatively common in South Korea, though rates have dropped sharply over the past two decades. As of 2022, 17.7% of Korean adults smoke cigarettes, nearly half the rate recorded in 1998. But that national average masks one of the most dramatic gender gaps in smoking anywhere in the world: 30% of Korean men smoke, compared to just 5% of Korean women.
How Korea Compares Globally
South Korea’s overall adult smoking rate of 17.7% is moderate by global standards, roughly in line with many European countries. What stands out is the male rate. Nearly one in three Korean men smokes cigarettes, and when you include heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes, that number climbs to 36.6%. For Korean women, total tobacco use (including all product types) sits at 7.2%.
The trend, though, is clearly downward. Korean men smoked at a rate of 42.1% as recently as 2013. By 2023, that had fallen to 32.2%, a drop of roughly 10 percentage points in a single decade. Women’s cigarette smoking has stayed relatively flat over that same period, edging down from 6.8% to 5.3%.
Why the Gender Gap Is So Large
The gap between male and female smoking rates in Korea is not simply a matter of personal preference. It reflects deep cultural norms. Smoking among men has long been socially acceptable, even expected in some social and professional settings. For women, it carries real stigma. Married Korean women have dramatically lower odds of smoking than unmarried women, a pattern researchers attribute to cultural pressure rather than marriage itself. In social network studies, 88% of the social influence women encountered around smoking was discouraging, compared to 70% for men. No women in one Seoul-based study reported receiving more encouragement to smoke than discouragement.
This stigma likely means the official female smoking rate understates reality. Surveys rely on self-reporting, and in a culture where women face social criticism for smoking, particularly if they are older, educated, or married, underreporting is widely suspected. Some researchers note that as gender equality advances in Korean society, women’s smoking patterns may shift, especially if smoking continues to be associated with independence or stress relief.
Heated Tobacco and E-Cigarettes
South Korea is one of the world’s largest markets for heated tobacco products, devices that heat tobacco sticks rather than burning them. Brands like IQOS and Lil are widely available in convenience stores across the country. Among Korean men, about 7.7% used heated tobacco products in 2023, a rate that has held relatively steady since these products launched around 2017. E-cigarette use among men rose from 2% in 2013 to 5.3% in 2023.
Among women, heated tobacco and e-cigarette use remains low overall (about 2.1% and 1.3% respectively in 2023), but both appear to be rising among younger women. The total tobacco use rate, combining all product types, adds roughly 6.6 percentage points on top of the cigarette-only rate for men and 2.2 points for women. About 6.9% of Korean men now use multiple tobacco products simultaneously, up from 1.8% a decade earlier.
Youth Smoking Rates
Smoking among Korean teenagers has declined substantially but remains a concern, especially among high school boys. In national surveys, 20.7% of male high school students and 6.3% of female high school students reported smoking in the past 30 days. Rates were significantly lower among middle school students: 7.9% of boys and 2.8% of girls. These figures use a broad definition of “current smoking,” counting anyone who smoked on at least one day in the past month.
Where You Can and Cannot Smoke
South Korea has progressively tightened its smoking restrictions. Since January 2015, smoking has been banned in all restaurants, cafes, and bars regardless of size. Owners can install enclosed smoking booths that meet government standards, but open indoor smoking is not permitted. The ban extends to a long list of public spaces: government offices, schools, hospitals, public transit stations, libraries, theaters, large stores, internet cafes, sports venues, and underground shopping malls. Public transportation vehicles with more than 16 seats are completely smoke-free, as are all children’s facilities and transport vehicles.
Many cities have also designated outdoor nonsmoking zones around transit hubs, convention centers, and busy pedestrian areas. Violators can be fined, and courts have upheld the constitutionality of these outdoor bans. In one notable case, a smoker challenged a fine received for lighting up outside a convention center in Busan, but the Constitutional Court ruled the restriction was valid.
Cigarette Prices and Tax Policy
Cigarettes in South Korea are relatively inexpensive compared to countries like Australia, the UK, or Canada. The government raised the price significantly in 2015, from about 2,500 won to 4,500 won per pack (roughly $3.50 to $4.35 at the time). That price hike was a deliberate public health measure, and it coincided with the launch of several cessation programs. More recently, officials have discussed further increases, though prices remain far below the $20 to $40 range seen in countries with the most aggressive tobacco taxation.
Government Cessation Programs
Alongside price increases, South Korea launched a national smoking cessation program through its health insurance system in 2015. The program covers the cost of doctor consultations (up to six appointments) and provides cessation medications for 8 to 12 weeks at no charge. If you relapse, you can use the program up to three times per year. Completing the full 12-week schedule earns a healthcare incentive worth about $80, and participants can be referred to a national quitline for ongoing support.
These efforts have contributed to the steady decline in smoking rates, particularly among men. The combination of higher prices, widespread indoor bans, subsidized cessation treatment, and shifting social norms has cut the overall smoking rate nearly in half since the late 1990s. Still, with roughly one in three men continuing to smoke and new tobacco products gaining traction, smoking remains a defining public health challenge in South Korea.