Cigarettes are considered a favorite food, but the social perception of smokers is poor due to secondhand smoke that bothers non-smokers, unpleasant smells, and butts lying around on the streets. Recently, celebrities have been receiving support by confessing that they smoked in the past and that they succeeded in quitting smoking.
Kim Sook said that she used to be a heavy smoker but has now successfully quit smoking. In the recently released podcast 'Song Eun-i & Kim Sook's Confidentiality', Kim Sook confessed, "I smoked more than anyone else. I smoked without envy."
Song Eun-i suggested to Kim Sook, who had decided to go on a diet, "You are the icon of Nodam and the icon of successful smoking cessation. How about Nodam Shot?" Kim Sook, who succeeded in quitting smoking, said, "My dream is to open a smoking cessation center in the future," and added, "I think I have the qualifications to be an advertising model," and expressed her desire to become a smoking cessation model. Song Eun-i added, “Honestly, we should give Sook-i an advertisement. It’s a success story for ‘Now Nodam.’”
Kim Sook said, “I didn’t quit smoking half-heartedly, I ended it with cigarettes.” He even confessed that he was good at his 'personal skill' of making certain shapes with cigarette smoke. Kim Sook actively said, "I am greedy for anti-smoking advertisements. Yoo Jae-seok also said this, but I have never been greedy anywhere, but I am greedy for one anti-smoking advertisement. Please give me an anti-smoking advertisement."
Yoo Jae-seok was also a smoker in the past. Yoo Jae-seok appeared on the YouTube channel 'Jim Jong-guk' and talked about physical strength and exercise with Kim Jong-guk and Ji Seok-jin. Kim Jong-kook emphasized that Yoo Jae-seok has been working out consistently, saying, “Yoo Jae-seok now is different from the old Yoo Jae-seok.” Yoo Jae-seok said, “Isn’t that the time when I even smoked cigarettes? I couldn't breathe. “Now that I have children and am married, I quit smoking,” he confessed.
Yoo Jae-seok surprised Kim Jong-kook and Ji Seok-jin by saying, "I thought it would be difficult, but I quit it easily. It's been 13 years since I quit smoking, and I don't think about cigarettes at all."
Jihye Lee, who became the mother of two daughters, also revealed that she smoked in the past. Lee Ji-hye recently mentioned her past smoking on the YouTube channel ‘Not Hateable Gwanjong Sister.’ Jihye Lee, who was trying to buy groceries through a delivery app, recalled an anecdote from the past. Ji-hye Lee said, "I felt like 'please do it' in the past. I called and said, 'Yes, this is Sinsa-dong. Please bring me one cigarette,' and when I found out, I found out that it was delivered to Sinsa-dong, Eunpyeong-gu," and recalled the days when she smoked in the past.
Husband Moon Jae-wan asked, “My wife hasn’t been able to smoke for a while, so what should we do?” Jihye Lee replied, “I wasn’t that much of a smoker.” Jihye Lee emphasized, “You must not smoke. Nodam.”
Smoking causes side effects such as lung cancer, larynx cancer, oral cancer, heart disease, stroke, sexual dysfunction, early death, and tooth discoloration. Despite the high risk that smoking can worsen one's health, there are many smokers who are unable to quit smoking due to its addiction and habit. This is why Kim Sook, Yoo Jae-seok, and Lee Ji-hye, who have resolutely quit smoking and are practicing ‘Nodam’, are receiving applause.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr