Introduction: The current study examined the relationship between retirement and health behaviors in Korea. Methods: The study has used a sample of 2,188 young, elderly Koreans (aged 55-69) from the first wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. Logistic and multinomial regression models were estimated for smoking, drinking, physical activity, and body mass index in men and women separately, while controlling covariates, such as socioeconomic status, financial situation factors, and health status. Results: Results indicated that retired participants were more likely to perform physical activity compared with employed participants for both women and men. Retired men were less likely to engage in heavy smoking or heavy drinking compared with their employed counterparts. Retirement status was positively associated with overweight status among women. Conclusion: Overall, retirement, with proper policy guidelines, may able to provide an opportunity to promote a healthy lifestyle, yet some areas have different implications based on gender.