Gangnam-gu Records Seoul's Lowest Obesity and Smoking Rates for Second Consecutive Year

Smoking Rate Drops to Single Digits... High-Risk Drinking Cut in Half

Gangnam-gu in Seoul (District Mayor Cho Seongmyeong) announced on the 5th that in the 2025 Community Health Survey, its obesity rate (20.4%) and current smoking rate (9.0%) were the lowest among all autonomous districts in Seoul for the second consecutive year.

A view of Gangnam-gu Office. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

The Community Health Survey is a nationwide survey overseen by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. It measures key health indicators such as smoking, physical activity, and diet, and is used as basic data for establishing local public health policies. From May to July last year, the district surveyed 916 residents aged 19 or older.

The obesity rate decreased by 3.7 percentage points from the previous year (24.1%), and the current smoking rate fell from 10.8% to 9.0%, a decrease of 1.8 percentage points, bringing it into the single digits. The annual rate of attempts at weight control (72.6% to 76.4%) and the rate of self-rated good health (50.5% to 56.4%) also increased, indicating that residents are highly interested in their health.

Indicators related to drinking and mental health also improved. The high-risk drinking rate dropped to 5.7%, nearly half of the previous year’s 10.0%, and the rate of practicing healthy lifestyles that combine smoking cessation, reduced drinking, and walking rose by 3.2 percentage points to 55.1%. The annual rate of experiencing depressive feelings improved by 1.4 percentage points to 7.0%. Of the 23 major indicators in total, 13 were better than the Seoul city average.

On the other hand, the rate of exposure to secondhand smoke indoors at workplaces (8.6%), the rate of eating breakfast (49.0%), and the treatment rate among those diagnosed with hypertension (78.1%) were identified as areas in need of improvement.

The district will introduce a new “Workplace Smoke-Free Fund” for employees at businesses with many complaints about secondhand smoke, providing a success incentive to those who remain smoke-free for six months. It also plans to strengthen education on the importance of eating breakfast for young adults, and to boost treatment rates by more closely linking the registration and management of patients with chronic diseases to medical institutions for treatment.

Gangnam-gu District Mayor Cho Seongmyeong said, “The Community Health Survey is an important benchmark for objectively assessing residents’ health status and setting the direction of public health policy,” adding, “We will further expand favorable indicators and supplement weak areas through on-site, customized programs to support residents’ healthy daily lives.”