No.1 in Walking and Healthy Lifestyle Practice Rates
Record Highs Every Year Since Service Launch
Wrist Doctor Engages 2.6 Million Participants
This year, the "walking practice rate" among Seoul citizens reached 69.0%, ranking first nationwide. The "healthy lifestyle practice rate," which encompasses all aspects such as smoking cessation, moderate drinking, and walking, also recorded the highest figure in the country at 54.3%. The Seoul Metropolitan Government analyzed that both of these figures have been on the rise every year since the launch of Wrist Doctor 9988 in 2021. The city believes that by focusing on Wrist Doctor 9988, which helps cultivate healthy habits, it is getting closer to realizing the vision of "A Healthier Seoul 9988."
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on December 14, the "2025 Community Health Survey (KCHS)" released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed that Seoul's walking practice rate was about 20 percentage points higher than the national average (49.2%). The Community Health Survey is conducted annually nationwide under the supervision of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, based on Article 4 of the Regional Public Health Act, to assess the health status of the population. In Seoul, the survey targeted about 22,000 citizens, and the results are widely used as key data for establishing regional public health plans.
The 'Wrist Doctor 9988 Walking Challenge' event held by Seoul City at Seoul Plaza in Jung-gu. Photo by Hyunmin Kim
The "walking practice rate" refers to the proportion of people who walked for at least 10 minutes at a time, totaling at least 30 minutes per day, five or more days a week, during the past week. This year, the rate increased by 13.5 percentage points compared to 2021 (55.5%), reaching an all-time high.
The walking practice rate among Seoul citizens has steadily increased each year: 55.0% in 2021, 62.3% in 2022, 64.3% in 2023, 68.0% in 2024, and 69.0% in 2025. The "healthy lifestyle practice rate" (54.3%) also marked the highest level in the past five years. The healthy lifestyle practice rate refers to the proportion of people who practice all three: smoking cessation, moderate drinking, and walking.
There were also improvements compared to the previous year in areas such as smoking, high-risk drinking, and obesity. The current smoking rate dropped to 14.9% this year from 15.7% the previous year. The high-risk drinking rate also decreased to 10.1% from 11.4%. The obesity rate showed a slight decline as well, from 31.0% to 30.2%, indicating positive changes overall.
The city attributes the annual increases in walking and healthy lifestyle practice rates to the impact of the smart health management app "Wrist Doctor 9988," which launched its service in November 2021 and is now used by 2.6 million Seoul citizens.
"Wrist Doctor 9988" is a practical program designed to help citizens naturally develop healthy habits in their daily lives, with the goal of "living vigorously up to age 99." Any Seoul citizen aged 18 or older can participate, and those who achieve the daily goal of 8,000 steps (5,000 steps for those aged 70 or older) are awarded points.
Reflecting these positive health changes, the city officially launched the "Wrist Doctor 9988 Super App" service on December 1 to help more citizens lead healthier daily lives. The reward system was adjusted from awarding 200 points for achieving 8,000 steps in a day to 100 points per day, but now provides an additional 500 points for walking 8,000 steps on five or more days a week, including at least one weekend day, to encourage consistent walking habits. Despite a sudden cold snap with temperatures dropping to minus 9 degrees Celsius during the first week of the new points system, the success rate for achieving the walking goal on five or more days a week (including weekends) was 24% (624,437 people).
In addition, the city increased incentives, such as awarding 5,000 points for completing a reservation and assessment at a physical fitness certification center, and another 5,000 points for improving one's fitness grade after six months (or maintaining the top grade). Other customized rewards include up to 25,000 points for completing metabolic syndrome tests and challenges at public health centers, up to 19,000 points for successfully quitting smoking, and up to 11,000 points for participating in dementia prevention activities.
Meanwhile, in November, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held the "Wrist Doctor 9988 Best Story Contest" to spread a culture of healthy practices by encouraging citizens to share their personal experiences of health improvement. The contest featured stories about how small steps and moments of perseverance led to the recovery of health and hope, demonstrating that Wrist Doctor 9988 is a partner leading change alongside citizens.
Lee Dongryul, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Citizens' Health Bureau, stated, "To create a healthier Seoul, we are expanding the ecosystem for healthy practices by strengthening not only walking but also customized health policies such as strength training, with Wrist Doctor 9988 at the center of our efforts. We will continue striving to make Seoul a healthy and happy city for all citizens."
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