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There are 15 million people who have companion animals in Korea. Related industries such as food and beauty products for companion animals are also growing, and now they are expanding their scope to the cultural industry as well as exhibitions with dogs.
Correspondent Han Sang-woo.
<Reporter> This
is a photo exhibition dedicated to dogs, ranging from the way he looks at the camera with a serious expression in the clothes of a priest to the humorous daily life.
Dog owners are constantly on the go.
[Park Ji-young / Seo-gu, Incheon: I have a dog, and it is a dog-themed exhibition, so it is fresher, and I can do it with my dog in hobbies, travel, going to a restaurant, or in everyday life… .] The
fair, which exhibited clothing, feed, and beauty products related to companion animals, is also crowded with people during the Corona crisis.
[Aigoo, I love you.]
26.4% of all households, or one in your household, have a pet, and the population is 15 million.
As the population with purchasing power spare no expense on pets, the related market is also rapidly growing.
Retailers such as GS and CJ saw a 50% increase in pet-related beauty and food sales, and Harim, an edible chicken company, recorded close to KRW 20 billion in sales last year from pet food alone.
The companion animal market is expected to grow from KRW 2.3 trillion in 2017 to KRW 4 trillion this year and KRW 6 trillion in 2027.
Recently, in addition to service industries such as restaurants and hotels with companion animals, there is a trend to expand the scope to cultural industries such as exhibitions.
Compared to the US and Europe, there are many restricted areas for pets in Korea and restrictions on the use of public transportation, which is a bit disappointing for the companion animal population.
(Video coverage: Kim Hyun-sang, video editing: Park Ji-in)