"Dog is Family" Young Adults Relieve Loneliness with 'Pets' Instead of Marriage and Childbirth [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

6.38 Million Households in Korea Raise Pets... One in Four Homes Has Pets
'Dingpet' Trend Growing as People Choose Pets Over Children
Experts Say Many Raise Pets to Alleviate Loneliness

Editor's NoteHow is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we bring you the joys and sorrows, worries and laughter unique to 'youth.'

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Pixabay.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "Pets are like my own children."

Recently, the number of young people who soothe their loneliness with pets instead of marriage and childbirth is increasing. In particular, some young couples, including newlyweds, are living with pets without having children despite being married. A new term, 'Dingpetjok' (DINKs who raise pets), has even emerged to describe them. Experts analyze that as the economy worsens, some young people feel burdened by child-rearing and thus choose to raise pets instead.

Office worker Kim (26) said, "It's hard to find acquaintances who say they want to get married. Marriage can only happen when there is economic and psychological stability, but since no one has that stability, they choose to remain single." He added, "Also, many women experience career breaks due to childbirth and childcare. They work hard to build their qualifications for employment, but if they get married and have children, their efforts go to waste, so they choose not to marry."

Like Kim, the number of young people giving up marriage and childbirth is increasing. According to a survey conducted last year by the Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association targeting 1,000 unmarried people in their 30s, 24.4% of respondents answered negatively about marriage.

The intention to have children was also low. The percentage of respondents who said they would not have children was 37.1%. Among them, the negative response rate among women was 42.2%, nearly twice as high as that of men (21.2%).

While the number of young people reluctant to marry and have children is increasing, the number of households raising pets is growing every year. In particular, last year in Korea, one in four households was found to be raising pets such as dogs or cats.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs surveyed 5,000 people last October and found that 27.7% of respondents said they raised pets. When converted to the total number of households nationwide (23.04 million), it is estimated that 6.38 million households are raising pets.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Pixabay.

As a result, new terms have appeared such as 'Petpemjok,' who regard pets as family, 'Dingpetjok,' who do not have children but raise pets instead, and 'Honpetjok,' who live alone with pets.

Kim (30), an office worker married for three years, recently adopted a poodle. As a 'Dingpetjok,' Kim said, "I never intended to have children before marriage. Without economic stability, having children is impossible." He added, "I adopted a dog earlier this year, and playing with the dog after work is healing."

He continued, "Recently, my husband and I even traveled with the dog," adding, "To us, the dog has a value beyond just an animal. It's like family."

Jung (25), a college student who has been raising a dachshund for five years, also expressed affection, saying, "The dog is like a source of vitality for me."

He said, "If my future spouse opposed me raising a dog, I might break up. Saying 'Let's not raise a dog' is no different from saying 'I don't like my family.' If they can't show even the minimum respect for animals, how can they have a good married life?"

Experts analyze that young people tend to raise pets to soothe loneliness. Professor Eunhee Lee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, "Recently, the number of young people raising pets is increasing. The main reason they raise pets is to alleviate loneliness," adding, "Humans are social animals who need interaction, and more people are interacting through pets."

She added, "Young people feel pressure to raise children well and are burdened by the costs of child-rearing. Compared to raising children, raising pets involves less responsibility and financial burden. Therefore, the number of people raising pets is increasing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.