Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between smoking cessation and metabolic syndrome components in Korean male and to clarify how long metabolic syndrome and its components remains after smoking cessation. Methods: A total of 4,408 participants from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were included in this cross-sectional study. Smoking status was categorized into three groups, current-smoker, ex-smoker and non-smoker. Also smoking cessation period was categorized into three groups, less than 5 years, 5 years to 15 years and more than 15 years. Results: Smoking cessation were associated with prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components. The multi-variate adjusted odds ratio for the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 1.68(1.22-2.31) for smoker, 1.04(0.74-1.46) for ex-smoker, as compare with non-smoker; adjusted odds ratio for the prevalence of hypertriglyceride 2.17(1.77-2.66) for smoker, 1.27(1.02-1.59) for ex-smoker and high waist circumference 1.36(0.98-1.88) for smoker, 1.07(0.78-1.48) for ex-smoker, as compare with non-smoker. Conclusions: Smoking cessation in Korean male reduced odds ratio for the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its 4 components except for hypertension.