Korea’s national experiment in paying its citizens to exercise is paying off — so quickly, in fact, that its doubled budget has already run dry. Participation in Teunteun Money, a government initiative that rewards people with cash-equivalent points for working out, has roughly doubled this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday. Even after officials halved the reward rate per 30-minute workout session to manage demand, public enthusiasm for the health scheme only continued to climb. By the end of July, nearly 700,000 citizens had earned points through the system, up from roughly 317,000 during the same period last year. More importantly for public health officials, participants aren't just signing up — they are spending significantly more time exercising. Excluding promotional sign-up bonuses, the average time spent exercising per participant rose by 19 percent year-on-year, adding roughly two additional hours of physical activity per person. Now in its fourth year, the program, whose name uses a Korean phrase roughly meaning "sturdy money," allows partici