Korean youth are crazy about the hobby of "raising rocks" as pets, for healing purposes

When they don't have the need to get married and don't have time to raise pets, Korean young people turn to pebbles as a safe and economical way to relieve themselves. This also becomes a gift that friends give each other and is considered very meaningful.

Keeping rocks as pets is a strange trend that has appeared in the US since the 1970s but has only recently appeared in Korea. Workers in this country have quite long work weeks and are pressured to find unusual ways to relax and heal their souls. Some people lying in coffins organize their own funerals, meditate in prison or participate in competitions for sitting the longest. "Raising rocks" instead of animals is the latest way to relax.

Koreans currently have quite long working weeks and the pressure forces them to find other "unusual" ways to relax and heal their souls. Such as lying in a coffin and organizing a fake funeral for yourself, meditating in prison or competitions to see who can sit in one place the longest. And now, pet rocks have become the newest way to relax for Korean youth.

According to Insider, Koreans are using pet stones to reduce loneliness and burnout at work. The Wall Street Journal reported on the unusual trend taking place in the land of kimchi.

Koo Ah-young (33 years old) shared with a Wall Street Journal reporter that she had no one to confide in about the exhaustion she experienced after starting a new office job in Seoul, South Korea.

She didn't want to worry her friends and family. But she also feels that keeping a pet like a cat or dog would be too big of a responsibility.

So Koo Ah-young bought a pet rock and named it "Bang-bang-i", inspired by the Korean word for jumping in happiness. She said, after a day of work, she came home and talked to the rock.

She even carries the stone with her when going for a walk or going to the gym.

"I have a feeling of peace knowing that this natural rock has gone through a lot of time to reach its current state," she shared.

According to a July 2023 report by Korea JooAng Daily, the Covid-19 pandemic has fueled the boom of pet stones in Korea. Some Koreans have taken to social media to show off how to decorate their favorite stones or record videos of unboxing them.

Round, smooth rocks are often sold for prices ranging from 5 USD (123,000 VND) to 11 USD (272,000 VND). Some companies claim to sell hundreds of these stones each month.

Business Insider found well-rated stones for sale on Korean e-commerce site Coupang for about 9 USD (223,000 VND).

Decades ago, Gary Ross Dahl, an American businessman and advertising executive, created the trend of keeping rocks as pets. By the end of 1975, more than one million pet stones had been sold in the United States and became popular gifts, attracting media attention. But a year later this phenomenon gradually disappeared.

In 2015, Gary Ross Dahl passed away. His stone is displayed at the National Toy Museum in Strong, New York and has been called "the strangest and most puzzling toy ever created".

Michelle Parnetr-Dwyer, the museum's curator, said Dahl would have been happy to see his ideas catch on in a country half a world away.

During a chance visit to a bar in Los Gatos, Northern California, Gary accidentally heard stories of people around him complaining about the difficulties of keeping pets in the house. From taking these animals for a walk in the park, feeding them to daily cleaning, it makes anyone shake their head in disgust.

Suddenly a "crazy" idea appeared in the young man's head. He shouted loudly to the crowd: " Why don't everyone keep a rock? It will be less troublesome ." As soon as he got home that night, Gary set to work making his idea a reality.

In just a short time, Gary Ross Dahl found two investors for his business. To convince them to invest capital for him, Gary presented a sample product that he had previously made himself.

The chosen "pet" is a smooth stone shaped like an egg the size of a palm from a Mexican beach. He arranged it neatly in a tiny bed made from soft wood and straw, all placed in a cardboard box with holes punched in it so the "animal" could "breathe".

The story of "Pet rock - Pet rock" sounds crazy and wild, but suddenly it was accepted by many people and became a trend at that time. Thanks to his product marketing knowledge accumulated over the years, Gary turned something that anyone could dig up from their backyard into the most sought-after item.

The story of "Pet rock - Pet rock" sounds crazy and wild, but suddenly it was accepted by many people and became a trend at that time. Thanks to his product marketing knowledge accumulated over the years, Gary turned something that anyone could dig up from their backyard into the most sought-after item.