Discover Why South Korea Is A Pet Lover’s Paradise

South Korea is usually introduced to international visitors through K-pop, Korean dramas, beauty, food, and technology. Yet foreigners who spend more time in the country often notice another rapidly changing part of everyday Korean life: the way many people care for their pets.

Dogs riding in strollers, neighborhood grooming salons, elaborate birthday cakes, pet-friendly hotels, specialist taxis, indoor playgrounds, and stores filled with seasonal clothing can make Korea’s pet culture look unexpectedly developed to newcomers.

The change is not limited to luxury purchases. It reflects a wider shift in how animals are understood inside Korean households. The Korean term banryeodongmul, meaning “companion animal,” has increasingly replaced the older expression aewandongmul, which is closer to “pet” or “animal kept for pleasure.” The newer term emphasizes living together as companions rather than treating animals simply as possessions.

According to KB Financial Group’s 2025 Korea Pet Report, an estimated 5.91 million South Korean households owned companion animals at the end of 2024, representing 26.7% of all households. Around 15.46 million people nearly three in every ten residents were estimated to live with pets.

That large population has helped create services that foreign residents may not expect to encounter so frequently.

Why Foreigners Call South Korea a “Pet Paradise” / News1

1. Pets Are Increasingly Treated as Members of the Family

The most important change is not a particular product or service. It is the language and attitude surrounding animals.

Many Korean owners now describe themselves using family-related expressions such as “dog mom,” “cat dad,” or pet family. Pets may appear in family photographs, accompany owners on vacations, receive birthday celebrations, and have their schedules organized around daycare, grooming, medical appointments, and exercise.

This does not mean that every Korean household treats animals in the same way. South Korea continues to face serious challenges involving abandonment, overcrowded shelters, irresponsible breeding, and unequal access to veterinary care.

However, the broader direction is clear. Government policy now explicitly includes improving animal welfare infrastructure and developing companion-animal industries, while public attitudes toward dogs have changed enough to produce major legal and social reforms.

For foreigners, the contrast is especially noticeable when they see pets receiving services that resemble those designed for children: daycare, health supplements, personalized meals, photo studios, swimming lessons, celebration packages, and carefully selected clothing.

2. Pet Supplies Can Be Surprisingly Easy to Find

Another detail that stands out is the accessibility of everyday pet products.

In Korean cities, food, treats, toys, carriers, clothing, hygiene products, dental-care items, and training supplies are sold not only in specialist pet stores but also through supermarkets, lifestyle retailers, online delivery platforms, and unmanned neighborhood shops.

The growth of this retail environment reflects the scale of the domestic market. South Korea’s pet-food market reached an estimated US$1.5 billion in 2023, making it the world’s 14th-largest market, after expanding at an average annual rate of 11.3% between 2018 and 2023. Cat-food sales grew particularly quickly during that period.

For foreign residents accustomed to visiting a large pet store during limited business hours, Korea’s combination of dense neighborhoods, self-checkout retail, and rapid delivery can feel unusually convenient.

Running out of food or puppy pads late at night may not require waiting until the following morning. In many areas, owners can either find a nearby retailer or arrange fast delivery through a mobile app.

The convenience is very Korean: the same infrastructure that makes meals and household supplies easy to order has expanded into pet care.

Why Foreigners Call South Korea a “Pet Paradise” / News1

3. Grooming and Wellness Services Are Part of the Neighborhood

Foreign visitors are also surprised by how visible grooming salons are.

Pet grooming in Korea can involve much more than a basic wash and haircut. Businesses may offer nail trimming, ear cleaning, coat treatments, skin care, spa-style bathing, de-shedding, dental products, and styling designed for particular breeds.

Appointments may include photographs of the finished result, report cards explaining the animal’s condition, or pickup and drop-off services. Some owners also use self-service dog-washing facilities when they want professional equipment without booking a full grooming appointment.

This reflects a larger shift from basic ownership toward specialized care. Korea’s growing pet economy includes food, health, grooming, sitting, insurance, transportation, training, and leisure services rather than treating all pet spending as one category. Industry forecasts expect the country’s pet-service sector to continue expanding through the end of the decade.

To international visitors, a neighborhood containing several grooming salons may seem excessive. To many Korean owners especially those living with dogs in compact apartments professional grooming can be a practical part of maintaining hygiene and comfort.

Why Foreigners Call South Korea a “Pet Paradise” / News1

4. Cafés, Parks, Hotels, and Travel Services Are Becoming More Pet-Friendly

Korea’s pet culture is increasingly moving outside the home.

Pet cafés, dog playgrounds, pet-friendly pensions, hotels, swimming pools, camping facilities, and restaurants with outdoor pet areas have become more visible. Seoul officially lists district-operated dog parks where registered dogs can run and play with their guardians, and the city has also tested pet-friendly zones and organized community programs involving owners and their dogs.

The Korea Tourism Organization provides practical guidance on traveling with animals by train, bus, taxi, and subway. Small pets are generally required to remain in carriers on public transportation, while rules can differ by transport company. Specialist pet-taxi services are also available.

Pet-friendly tourism is becoming organized enough that national guidelines have been developed for attractions, lodging, cafés, and restaurants, including recommendations for leash hooks, disinfectants, lounges, playgrounds, and waste-disposal facilities.

Still, “pet-friendly” should not be interpreted as “pets are welcome everywhere.” Many restaurants, shops, apartment buildings, public attractions, and indoor spaces continue to restrict animals, and larger dogs can face more obstacles than small breeds.

That contradiction is part of modern Korean pet life: the number of dedicated facilities is impressive, but access to ordinary public spaces remains uneven.

5. Pet Shopping Has Become a Lifestyle Industry

Perhaps the most visually surprising part of Korean pet culture is the range of products designed around an animal’s lifestyle.

Stores sell raincoats, cooling clothes, padded winter jackets, shoes, hats, accessories, orthopedic beds, stairs for reaching sofas, air-conditioned carriers, strollers, automatic feeders, water fountains, monitoring cameras, and custom-designed furniture.

Food has become equally specialized. Owners can choose premium treats, functional snacks, age-specific formulas, fresh meals, supplements, and products developed for particular health needs.

Celebrations form another part of the market. Pet bakeries produce small cakes and treats for birthdays, while photo studios offer themed portraits and family sessions. Owners may book daycare, hotels, pet sitters, or training classes in the same way they schedule other household services.

To some foreign observers, this can look as though Korean dogs live more comfortably than people. The joke exaggerates the reality, but it captures how strongly pets have entered consumer culture.

The important point is that these purchases are often connected to emotional meaning. Clothing, cakes, strollers, and photographs allow owners to include animals in family routines and public life, rather than leaving them at home as a separate part of the household.

Korea Is Pet-Convenient, but Not Yet a Perfect Pet Paradise

Calling South Korea a “pet paradise” makes an engaging headline, but the reality requires qualification.

The country offers impressive convenience, a sophisticated commercial market, dense veterinary and grooming networks, and a growing number of leisure facilities. Yet pet owners still encounter restrictions in housing, transportation, restaurants, and public spaces. Concerns also remain over abandonment, animal welfare, commercial breeding, medical expenses, and conditions for large dogs.

Government plans to expand publicly operated animal-care centers from 87 in 2024 to 102 in 2025 show that welfare infrastructure is still being strengthened rather than already complete.

What surprises foreigners, therefore, is not that Korea has solved every problem involving companion animals. It is how quickly pet care has become visible, specialized, and integrated into urban life.

A person can buy treats late at night, book a professional groomer through an app, call a pet taxi, spend the afternoon at a dog playground, and check into pet-friendly accommodation—all within the same highly connected consumer environment.

That combination of family-like affection and Korean-style convenience explains why some international residents remember the country as an unexpectedly comfortable place to live with an animal.