South Korea’s low birth rate, declared a “demographic national emergency” earlier this year, has prompted baby-stroller maker Airbuggy’s Korea division to pivot solely to dog strollers in recent years.
Sales of dog strollers are skyrocketing in South Korea, outpacing those of baby strollers, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The country is confronting a national fertility rate of 0.72— a mere third of the level needed to maintain the population.
In a recent local poll, one in two South Korean women aged 20 to 49 said they had no intention of having children, seeing it as inessential and citing financial constraints.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is married without children and has at least 10 dogs and cats himself.
However, in June, Yoon declared a “demographic national emergency” over South Korea’s low birthrate. He called on government ministries to resolve the plummeting birthrates to avoid an “existential crisis”.
Dog-stroller sales have quadrupled since 2019. Airbuggy is hailed as the “Mercedes-Benz” of them. Their fall-winter “Grey Tweed” special-edition model costs about $1,100, sports Scottish fabric and off-road tires.
Park Soon-jae, head of Airbuggy Korea said: “But the market here demands pet strollers.”
[Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/koreanet/52866194001]