Korean pet owners suffer profound grief over dead companions. But does society recognize their loss?

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Korean pet owners suffer profound grief over dead companions. But does society recognize their loss?

Published: 28 Apr. 2026, 07:00 Updated: 28 Apr. 2026, 10:05

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A person looks into a photo of a late dog in a commemorative space. [GETTY IMAGES]

"I always expected a proper farewell,” an office worker in his 30s quietly said at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul. "But it's beyond what I had imagined, this excessive weight of loss.”

The man, surnamed Yoo, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym to protect his privacy, lost his 14-year-old Maltese early last month. He had anticipated the day would come, given that his dog frequently went to a hospital for heart illness. But the pain was far beyond what he had imagined.

As the number of pet owners in Korea surpasses 15.4 million, more people are grappling with the profound grief of losing family-member like pets. The shift is driven by a burgeoning “pet-fam” culture where animals are viewed as primary family members.

The trend is inextricably linked to Korea’s rapidly aging society and low birthrates, which have transformed pets into “second children” for empty nesters and vital anchors for the country’s growing population of single-person households.

According to the 2025 Korea Pet Report by KB Financial Group Management Research Institute, 83.2 percent of pet owners reported experiencing a sense of depression after their pets "crossed the rainbow bridge." The survey was conducted nationwide among 1,000 pet owners aged 20 to 69.

Among them, those who said the feeling persisted for over a year accounted for 16.5 percent. In response, private counseling services, a dedicated hotline and local government programs have emerged in recent years.

Participants groom a dog during a pet art festival held in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 4, 2025. [NEWS1]

Yet critics argue that support remains insufficient, citing a persistent gap in perceptions between pet owners and non-pet owners. The disconnect often creates a climate of disenfranchised grief — a sorrow that society does not fully acknowledge or validate — making it significantly harder for those suffering to recover.

Full mourning

For Yoo’s family, the small Maltese was a ball of joy for the whole household.

“She used to bark whenever I pressed on the smart lock pad to enter home,” Yoo said. “But now I hear nothing.”

He noted that while his dog was a small creature weighing less than 2 kilograms, her absence affected the entire household.

The remnants of her life remain in the home.

A person takes pictures of their dogs during a pet fair in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 23. [NEWS1]

“We are still keeping her urn at our house after cremating her body,” he said, adding that he was planning to scatter the ashes near a meaningful location, but he wasn’t ready yet.

Instead, the family set up a small commemorative area with the urn and a doll she used to play with. “I say hi to her every time I pass the area.”

Under current legislation, deceased pets are classified as requiring disposal in paid household waste bags, arranged through a veterinary clinic, or processed at a specialized funeral facility.

For a more respectful parting, Yoo secured a time slot at a pet crematorium.

The standard procedure at these facilities typically begins with a professional consultation, followed by the cleansing and grooming of the pet’s body.

After a brief period for the family to commemorate and say their final goodbyes, the cremation takes place.

Afterward, owners are presented with the remains, which are often ground into a fine powder and returned in an urn. In some instances, owners opt to transform the remains into "memorial stones" — small, solidified gems — as a lasting way to keep their pets close.

Experience of pet loss blues [YUN YOUNG]

For pets weighing less than 5 kilograms, the base cremation cost generally ranges from 200,000 won ($135) to 250,000 won. However, overall spending on these services is rising. According to the 2025 Korea Pet Report, the average expenditure for a pet funeral reached around 463,000 won last year, marking a 22 percent increase from 2023.

Experts emphasize that fully mourning the loss is essential for recovery, yet many feel pressured to hide their pain.

“People need enough time to process the pain to recover faster,” said Park Eun-gyeong, director of the Pet Loss Counseling Center under the Korea Pet Promotion Association.

“If not, it can lead to societal issues,” she added, citing cases where owners considered self-harm after a loss.

A woman reaches over a cat in her lap to type on her laptop. [GETTY IMAGES]

For many, the shock of losing a pet is equivalent to losing a human baby, according to Park.

“Despite pets dying old, the bereavement is often felt the same as losing their babies, as owners take care of the pets all the time,” Park said.

She believes the difference between losing a human family member and a pet lies in the lack of an established ritual. “When a person dies, people notify acquaintances and spend several days mourning during a funeral. That is the biggest difference.”

Barriers to healing

While some programs are expanding, others have struggled against a social indifference toward pet loss.

Due to low engagement, the Korea Forest Welfare Institute discontinued its forest-based storytelling program this year, which had offered bereaved owners a space to share stories and write letters to their late pets.

“There are still stereotypes that seeking psychological support for a pet is excessive,” a spokesperson for the institute said.

Professor Kim Ok-jin of Wonkwang University’s Center for Animal Resources Development claims that this hesitation is rooted in Korea's legal and institutional framework. Under Article 98 of the Civil Act, animals are defined as “things,” a classification that effectively reduces the death of a pet to the loss of property in the eyes of the state.

“This classification reduces the perceived value of mourning and limits societal support,” Kim said. In 2021, the Ministry of Justice pushed for a revision to grant animals a separate legal status, but the bill remains stalled in the National Assembly.

A black monkey cat sits on on a railing in Korea. [GETTY IMAGES]

Without this legal shift, pet owners often feel their grief is “unofficial,” making them less likely to join public programs. The legal classification also contributes to current societal acknowledgment, tending to reduce mourning and limit societal support, according to experts.

The path forward

The most successful interventions appear to be those that acknowledge the specific needs of isolated individuals. Seoul’s Dongjak District, for instance, plans to host additional group counseling sessions for single-person households next month, following the high demand for its inaugural program last year.

For many, the first step toward healing happens in digital or private spaces.

To build a more reliable support model, Prof. Kim suggests expanding non-face-to-face consultations and creating more online commemorative spaces — platforms that are often less intimidating for those wary of social stigma. The need is already evident on portals like Naver, where owners post letters to their deceased pets every single day on a cat forum.

Efforts to bridge these gaps are also emerging from the nonprofit sector.

Starting next month, nonprofit Loveaid Foundation will extend a hotline dedicated solely to pet loss.

“The social atmosphere still fails to recognize this grief, leading to isolation,” a program lead at the foundation said. “Our counselors recently underwent training that includes veterinary science to better understand the owner's perspective.”

A tribute to a late dog is displayed at a memorial altar in Pet Heaven, a funeral facility located in Gimpo, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 13, 2018. [PET HEAVEN]

For long-term sustainability, however, experts claim that pet loss must be treated as a public health issue. Professor Ahn Na, from the Department of Companion Animal Health Care at Kyungin Women’s University, emphasized that addressing pet loss is a critical component of preventive mental healthcare.

“A standardized consultation manual should be developed in alignment with the government’s preventive welfare initiatives,” Prof. Ahn said.

Prof. Kim of Wonkwang University advocates for a national certification for pet loss counselors to ensure professional specialization. He also envisions a government-led infrastructure that connects regional mental health centers with frontline facilities.

"We need a system that identifies high-risk guardians at animal hospitals and funeral facilities, connecting them immediately to professional counseling,” he said.

“It is essential to publicly acknowledge that pet loss can lead to serious post-traumatic stress disorder."

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]

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Korean pet owners suffer profound grief over dead companions. But does society recognize their loss?

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