An unusual trend continues in South Korea, where people are starting to keep small stones as pets, naming them “companion stones.'' This trend is gaining momentum as people seek to escape the shackles of loneliness. They treat the stones as pets, painting their faces, giving them names, making beds for them, and spending time with them.
What is a companion stone?
Companion stones are small stones that were recently domesticated by people in Korea. Although the main purpose of employing these stones is to combat loneliness and burnout, some other stones have other reasons. These stones foster hope in those who own them.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the boom developed in 2021 when Korean TV personalities and members of K-pop groups Enhypen and Seventeen, particularly Jeonghan and DK from the latter group, showed off their pet locks.
Soon after, many Koreans began searching for pet stones themselves. Some of them even go so far as to say that they use this stone to cope with increased levels of stress, loneliness, and burnout that come with their daily jobs.
Depending on the owner, pet stones can be used for a variety of purposes. Lee So-hee, a 30-year-old pharmaceutical business researcher, claimed that she frequently confides in her pet rock, Hong Doo-gae. “Of course, it's an inanimate object and can't understand humans, but in some ways it's calming and it's like chatting with a dog,” she said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. He spoke at
The growing popularity of pet rock ownership in South Korea may be explained by a variety of circumstances, including overwork, stress, and burnout. In 2022, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development revealed that the country was ranked fifth in the entire world and the most overworked country in Asia.
Burnout and loneliness are not new issues for Korean millennials.
A report released by the South Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in April 2023 (translated into English by CNN) estimates that 3.1% of South Koreans between the ages of 19 and 39 are “reclusive and lonely young people.” .
CNN reports that many factors are at play, including financial hardship, mental health issues with family members, and general health.
Seoul residents who work full time may not feel as lonely as people living elsewhere. A Bloomberg article in November found that more than 98% of Grade A offices in the capital were full, suggesting remote working was becoming obsolete.
