June 05, 2023 12:40
Keeping a dog in Korea costs an average of W135,000 a month, according to a research center run by KB Kookmin Bank (US$1=W1,306).
The center polled 1,000 adults who have pets and found that their monthly spending on their dog increased from W103,000 in 2018 to W135,000 this year. Cat owners spent W126,000 a month.
At the end of 2022, 5.52 million households in Korea had at least one pet -- 71.4 percent dogs and 27.1 percent cats.
Some 73.4 percent of pet owners said they spent a lot of money on vets in the last two years, while the average cost of veterinary services totaled W787,000.
Some 80.4 percent of owners said they have to leave their cats or dogs home alone every day, but the amount of time declined from five hours and 40 minutes on average in 2021 to five hours and 17 minutes last year.
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