South Korean pet industry (II): how society is adapting to pets

A good barometer of the momentum of South Korea’s pet industry is how big corporations—without any direct business in the industry—are considering the increasing trend of pet ownership in the Asian country. GlobalPETS examines the most recent developments. 

Pet-friendly spaces

Starbucks, the American multinational chain of coffeehouses, recently opened 2 pet-friendly outlets to respond to the demand for pet-friendly spaces.

In Guri, a city of 190,000 inhabitants located less than 20 km from the capital of Seoul, the firm opened a 166-square-meter pet-friendly space on its second floor, featuring reserved leash spaces and a porch for pets to walk on. 

GlobalPETS learned that the company had to create a separate “pet zone” to comply with the country’s regulatory ban on dining with pets set by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. In addition, it will not have food and beverage offerings for pets as there are “specific regulations covering food that can be consumed by animals.”

Earlier this year, Starbucks also reached a partnership at its store in Bukhangang, near Seoul. The company has partnered with Samsung Electronics to promote the new Samsung Galaxy S24 series with its “Galaxy Studio Pet,” which allows customers to test the new phone and its camera capabilities in a pet-friendly play area. 

Accessible travel with pets

South Korean mobile network operator LG Uplus scooped up a local pet service start-up, Along, in late 2023 to extend Airbnb-like services for companion animals.

Since June 2023, Gimpo International Airport, located in the western end of Seoul, has offered dog care services to passengers who check into flights with their pets. The service includes sending the dogs to a 4,000-square-meter pet hotel and returning them to the airport in time for pick up. 

National carrier Korean Air introduced “loyalty stamps” as part of its frequent flier program, which allows passengers to earn free pet-related travel.  

Holders of SKYPASS pet passports will earn a stamp for each leg of a domestic flight purchased with Korean Air. For an international trip, two stamps are awarded for each leg. 

According to the airline, passengers traveling with their pets increased from 37,000 in 2019 to 39,000 in 2022.

Focus on a pet’s complete life cycle

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Animal Funeral Association recently launched a subsidized pet cremation service for low-income pet owners.

The service launched on a trial period last year for 600 pets, and it was set up to make up for the lack of crematoriums in Seoul. 

Under the scheme, pet owners received a cover for pet transportation to the crematorium worth up to ₩70,000 ($53/€48) and the same additional amount off the cremation cost per pet.

According to a survey from the Seoul municipality reported by The Korea Times, 47% of pet owners say they take their pets to crematoriums when they die. Conversely, 13% admitted to dumping their animals in trash bags.