Strained by sky-high housing prices and notorious working hours, more and more young people in South Korea are choosing 'fur' babies over real ones. That means fancy pet food, puppy photo shoots and even dog funerals. Like a son, but cheaper.
That's what young South Koreans now say when it comes to pets. With sky-high housing prices and notorious working hours, many of them are choosing "fur" babies over real ones.
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| A picture of a pet dog decorated with flowers is seen on a tablet at a pet studio in Seoul, South Korea, January 17, 2019. Picture taken on January 17, 2019. Reuters |
Pet Owner, KANG SUNG-IL SAYING:
"We both work and don't have the time, so the thought of having a baby never crossed our minds. It seems like too much pressure."
Kang Sung-il and his wife say they can't afford a child.
Instead, they're focusing their energy on their 5 year-old Pomeranian - Sancho.
PET OWNER, KANG SUNG-IL SAYING:
"Whenever I go on business trips abroad, I always bring something back for Sancho because I'm his dad."
On average, the couple spends about 90 dollars a month on Sancho. Private schooling alone for a child would cost almost three times that amount.
But it's not just the Kangs. Experts say Korea's pet population is growing, as more people choose not to have babies - or to even get married.
That's why time-old Korean traditions, like taking photos of your baby's first birthday, are translating into pictures of pooches instead.
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| A photographer takes a photograph of a pet dog at a pet studio in Seoul, South Korea, January 17, 2019. Picture taken on January 17, 2019. Reuters |
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| A woman looks at pictures of her and her pet dog at a pet studio in Seoul, South Korea, January 17, 2019. Picture taken on January 17, 2019. Reuters |
Pet Photographer, HONG SEONG-HYUN, SAYING:
"People think of pets as members of their families, so some take pictures like these every year as their puppies grow up."
South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and its economy is flatlining. However, the country's pet business is booming.
The 1.5 billion dollar industry has been growing quickly, bumping up about 7 percent last year - making it one of fastest growing, globally.
That includes everything from fancy pet food with ginseng, air purifiers for puppies or even dog funerals - a service that's become increasingly popular in the country.
Pet Owner, LEE JAE-HWAN, SAYING:
"I always introduced my dog as my only son. Even my friends don't understand me, but my dog did."
And - the pet boom is only getting bigger. Experts say, the pet business in South Korea is expected to grow three-fold - in the next decade. (Reuters)
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