A survey finds that the male adult smoking rate in the country has sharply dropped since the steep hike in cigarette prices early this year.
 
The Health and Welfare Ministry conducted a telephone survey of 25-hundred men and women for 15 days beginning in May and found that 35 percent of South Korean adult men were smokers.
 
Among the surveyed current and past smokers, one out of seven male respondents said they had quit the habit within the past year. 
 
The smoking rate among male smokers has fallen by five-point-eight percentage points over the last 12 months. The drop is six times larger than the zero-point-96 percent yearly average decrease over the past five years.
 
Among the respondents who quit smoking, two out of three said their decision was affected by the tobacco price hike. 
 
One out of five smokers also expressed plans to quit during the next six months.