The Rising Trend of Pet Rocks in South Korea
In recent years, a peculiar trend has emerged among young adults in South Korea – pet rocks. The Wall Street Journal recently featured an article about Lee So-hee, a 30-year-old office worker living alone in Seoul, whose life took a turn after receiving a rock as a gift in November last year.
Lee believes that having a pet rock can alleviate feelings of loneliness. While the concept of owning a pet rock is unusual and mostly forgotten in the United States since the 1970s, it has made a comeback in South Korea recently.
The demanding work culture in South Korea, with its long working hours and high levels of stress, has forced people to seek unconventional ways to relax and nourish their souls. Some have resorted to lying in coffins, organizing their own mock funerals, or participating in endurance sitting contests. Currently, pet rocks have become the latest form of relaxation for South Korean millennials.
Lee, a 30-year-old pharmaceutical company researcher, affectionately refers to her pet rock as “baby girl” and even uses a piece of cloth as a blanket for her “pet.” She shares, “Sometimes I confide in it about what happens at work. Of course, the motionless rock cannot comprehend my conversations, but the feeling of relaxation is similar to having a real pet.”
Decades ago, Gary Ross Dahl, an American entrepreneur and advertising executive, popularized the trend of pet rocks. By the end of 1975, over one million pet rocks were sold in the United States, becoming a common gift and attracting media attention.
However, the trend faded over time. After Dahl’s passing in 2015, pet rocks found their way into the Strong National Museum of Play in New York and were labeled as “one of the most bizarre and inexplicable toys ever created.”
Kim Jin-guk, a professor at the Korean Research Institute of the University of Korea, believes that for centuries, East Asian societies, including South Korea, have revered decorative rocks as symbols of stability and eternity, bringing joy and a sense of security to people.
Currently, pet rocks in South Korea are sold with smooth, round shapes and are priced between 7.5 – 11 USD (186,000 – 272,000 VND), excluding additional decorative costs such as glass, hats, and scarves. Business owners in South Korea have reported a thriving market for pet rocks, with one company receiving 150 – 200 orders per month.
As the demand for unconventional methods of relaxation continues to grow, pet rocks have become a unique outlet for young adults in South Korea to cope with the pressures of modern life.
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