Morbidity and mortality are classically used to measure disease burden. However, the allocation of limited health-care resources demands an agreed rational allocation principle and, consequently, the setting of priorities is of considerable importance. We collected data from the national death certificate database, and the national health insurance claim database and life tables. Using this data, we calculated disability adjusted life year (DALY) and health life year (HeaLY) values for smoking-related cancer. The burden of cancer due to smoking was estimated by multiplying the population attributable risk due to smoking by the DALY and HeaLY results for cancers. The burden of cancer due to smoking for Korean men was 1930.1 person-years by DALY and 1681.3 person-years by HeaLY per 100 000 people. Similarly, the burden of cancer due to smoking for Korean women was 352.6 person-years for DALY and 313.6 person-years for HeaLY per 100 000 people. Priority rankings for cancer burden due to smoking was somewhat different by DALY and HeaLY. The largest health gap for men was stomach cancer by DALY and lung cancer by HeaLY, whereas for women it was lung cancer by both methods. This study provides a rational basis for national cancer policy planning by presenting the priority burden of cancers caused by smoking.