Pet Market

[Anchor Lead]

The number of pet owners keeps rising in Korea, where the rapidly growing pet market has now surpassed three trillion won. Some regions in the nation are using this opportunity to boost their economies

[Pkg]

This athletic canine overcomes obstacles with extraordinary agility and climbs a ladder in no time. This is the Crufts Dog Show held in Birmingham, the largest such event in the world with a 128-year tradition. Tickets worth 4 billion won were sold over the four days of the competition. Scores of tourists at nearby hotels and restaurants helped boost the local economy.

[Soundbite] Caroline Kisko(Secretary, Kennel Club)

Imsil-gun County in Jeollabuk-do Province decided to benchmark Birmingham's business model. Imsil is where the folktale "The Dog of Osu" originated. It's a story about a four-legged friend who rescued its owner from a raging fire. The local government plans to invite a large number of prominent dogs that participated in international shows, and expand infrastructure for pets. A playground and campsite for pets have already been built in the area. The construction of a funeral facility for animals is to begin soon.

[Soundbite] Kim Hak-sung(Imsil-gun County Government) : "We plan to create a pet industry cluster by building funeral facilities for animals and an industrial park specializing in pet-related products."

The pet industry has emerged as a promising solution for struggling regional economies.