Nearly 3 out of 10 households in South Korea raise pets, mostly dogs, government data showed Tuesday. A survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs showed that 29.2 percent of households were raising pets at home in 2025. Of such households, 80.5 percent raised dogs, while 14.4 percent raised cats and 4.1 percent fish. Pet owners spent an average of 121,000 won ($84) per month for their pets. The survey marked South Korea’s first nationally approved statistical survey on pet ownership. In a separate survey on animal welfare, also conducted by the agriculture ministry, a little less than half of respondents said pet owners appear to be properly complying with pet-related requirements, such as using leashes and identification tags. Still, there existed a wide perception gap depending on the respondents’ pet ownership, with 86.9 percent of those who own pets saying they comply with the rules, while only 39.9 percent of non-owners gave the same response. Regarding the penalty for animal abuse, 93.2 percent of respondents agreed with a need for stronger punishment for those who
