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.<br />Seoul's Defense Ministry says... compared to 2017,... the smoking rate was down by two-point-four percentage points.<br />It has consistently been going down since 2007 when the rate stood at about 50 percent.<br />The ministry has been promoting a smoke-free military through stop smoking clinics and rewarding soldiers who stub out the habit for good.<br />It also aims to reduce the rate to 30 percent by 2020. <br />
