Cash rewards are proving to be a powerful motivator for South Korean smokers aiming to quit, as companies and public health programs increasingly turn to financial incentives to combat nicotine addiction.
For Kim Byung-gyu, 34, the decisive moment to quit smoking came down to money. Since the age of 20, he had smoked more than half a pack of cigarettes daily. But his company, EcoPro Innovation, offered an incentive he couldn’t resist: 1 million won (about $700) for employees who successfully quit smoking between January and June.
Last year, the company introduced a survival-style program inspired by “Squid Game,” where approximately $350 per participant was pooled into a prize pot for the final non-smoking winner. Monthly urine tests were conducted to detect nicotine, and even after receiving the prize, employees had to stay smoke-free for three months. Violators were required to return the money. “Quitting smoking on my own felt like a lonely fight,” Kim said. “But with a reward at stake, I felt much more motivated.”
Another company embracing cash incentives is semiconductor parts manufacturer LK Engineering, which awards $1,390 to employees who successfully quit smoking. “People spend most of their day at work, and that’s often where they smoke the most,” the company official said.
To raise the stakes further, some firms require participants to put their own money on the line. At Sungwoo Hitech, an auto parts manufacturer, employees attempting to quit smoking have $70 deducted from their monthly salary for five months to create a fund. If they succeed, they receive $700; if they fail, their $350 contribution is donated. Last year, 44 out of 50 participants succeeded.
Quitting smoking is a common New Year’s resolution, but many abandon it within days. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s National Health Statistics for 2023, only 13.1% of adult smokers said they planned to quit within the next month, the lowest figure since the annual survey began in 2007. This marks a steady decline from 18.9% in 2020, 15.8% in 2021, and 14.2% in 2022. “A lot of people around me have switched to e-cigarettes,” said one smoker in his 30s. “There’s this belief that they’re less harmful than regular cigarettes, so the urge to quit isn’t as strong.”
However, financial rewards can tip the scales. A report published on Jan. 13 in the Cochrane Library titled “Incentives for Smoking Cessation” found that monetary incentives helped 10 out of 100 participants stay smoke-free for six months or longer, compared to 7 out of 100 in a control group.
The study, led by researchers at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, analyzed 48 smoking cessation programs involving more than 21,900 participants across eight countries. “Rewards help people quit smoking for at least six months, and their effects persist even after the incentives stop, providing long-term benefits,” the researchers noted, suggesting that the discipline developed for rewards can form lasting habits.
On Jan. 14, Eom Dong-sik, 53, walked into the public health center in Seoul’s Nowon District as part of the “Smoking Cessation Support Fund” program. A staff member snipped a few strands of Eom’s hair for a nicotine test, conducted at the National Cancer Center. Participants receive $70 for staying smoke-free for a year, $140 after two years, and $210 after three years, totaling $420. The district, which pioneered this program in 2014, funds it through fines collected from smoking violations.
“We’ve received many inquiries from other municipalities wanting to adopt similar initiatives,” a district official said. So far, more than $88,000 in rewards have been distributed. Eom, who achieved three years of smoking abstinence, said, “Knowing someone is rooting for me made a big difference. I’m using the reward money to pay for a gym membership.”
For many, cigarette prices are a key deterrent. Advocates argue that raising tobacco prices could serve as another effective tool to curb smoking. In 2015, South Korea raised cigarette prices by $1.39, which led to a record-high 25.5% of smokers planning to quit. Myung Seung-kwon, dean of the Graduate School of International Cancer at the National Cancer Center and head of the Korea Association on Smoking or Health, noted, “The price hike in 2015 had a significant impact on people deciding to quit, but that effect is wearing off. Raising cigarette prices is a critical policy, and now is the time to implement another increase.”
