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Maltese dogs are the most common dog breed owned in South Korea, according to a survey conducted in 2023, with around ** percent of respondents answering to own such a dog. The market for pets and pet products in South Korea has continued to grow over the last years in Korea and, according to forecasts, will continue to do so for the next six years.

Dog population in South Korea

Just as the pet market size has grown, the dog population in South Korea has also experienced an upward trend, with almost *** million dogs owned as pets in 2022. While the number of new dog registrations decreased, it was still an elevated level compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Dog registrations became mandatory in 2014 and dog owners have to follow up with multiple veterinarian checks. Reasons for this policy were, among others, to reduce the number of stray dogs in cities, such as Seoul, and simplify the recovery of lost dogs.

Pet food market

According to a survey among pet owners, the preferred type of dog food was dry food. Dry food can be easily imported from other countries and in 2023, South Korea imported most of its pet food from the U.S. The average monthly spending on other pet related items in South Korea amounted to close to **** thousand South Korean won in 2023.