"I Earned 430,000 Won Just by Walking" Seoul City's Health Program with 1.94 Million Participants

1. Over 1.94 Million Participants in Seoul's "Sonmok Doctor 9988"
2. 3.4 Trillion Steps Taken by the End of Last Year... Equivalent to 60,000 Trips Around the Earth
3. Physical Activity Boosted: Weekly Step Count Up 9.4%

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

The number of participants in Seoul's healthcare project "Sonmok Doctor 9988," launched in 2021 to promote healthy lifestyle habits and improve citizens' health, has surpassed 1.94 million. Over the past two years, the weekly step count of Sonmok Doctor participants increased by 9.4%, and the daily step count rose by 4.7%, establishing the project as a representative health guardian initiative.

Sonmok Doctor 9988 is a smart healthcare project started in 2021 that uses information and communication technology (ICT) to encourage citizens to develop healthy walking habits. Any Seoul resident aged 19 or older can participate, and if they walk more than 8,000 steps a day, they earn 200 points. These points (1 point = 1 KRW) can be converted into Seoul Pay and used like cash at hospitals, convenience stores, and other places.

On the 18th, Seoul City announced that the number of Sonmok Doctor 9988 participants exceeded 1.94 million, meaning one in five Seoul citizens is using the service. The city explained that the cumulative steps taken by participants over the past four years reached a total of 3.4373 trillion steps. This distance is equivalent to circling the Earth 59,973 times or about 4.3 billion times the height of Lotte World Tower (555m).

Provided by Seoul City

Analysis by age group showed that participants aged 70 and older recorded particularly high step counts last year, and those aged 60 and above consistently maintained high step counts. The age group with the highest average steps per person was the 60s for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, but it shifted to the 70s for the first time last year. The day participants walked the most was Wednesday, with an annual average of 202,199 steps per person, about 36% more than Sunday, the day with the fewest steps.

Notably, 1,186 participants walked more than 8,000 steps every day for 365 days last year, earning 200 points daily. Among them, 97 participants aged 70 or older earned 200 points by walking just 5,000 steps a day. The participant who earned the most points accumulated a total of 432,780 points. Sonmok Doctor participants mainly used their points earned by walking at restaurants (31.9%), convenience stores and marts (22.5%), and pharmacies (8.2%).

Meanwhile, on the 18th, the city announced a special promotion starting on the 19th to help more citizens take care of their health through Sonmok Doctor 9988. Members with more than 5,000 Sonmok Doctor points can purchase the Galaxy Fit3 smart band at a special discounted price of 55,000 points, with free shipping included. Participants wishing to purchase can apply for the Galaxy Fit3 through the Sonmok Doctor 9988 app and pay via the Seoul Pay app. The city plans to supply a total of 100,000 units, 50,000 units each in the first and second halves of the year. If points are insufficient, purchases can also be made using Seoul Pay gift certificates.