The smoking rate among South Korean troops hit a record low of 39 percent in 2018,... marking the first time the figure has dropped below 40 percent.
Seoul's Defense Ministry says... compared to 2017,... the smoking rate was down by two-point-four percentage points.
It has consistently been going down since 2007 when the rate stood at about 50 percent.
The ministry has been promoting a smoke-free military through stop smoking clinics and rewarding soldiers who stub out the habit for good.
It also aims to reduce the rate to 30 percent by 2020.