Capital region's largest pet park to open north of Seoul

Seoul City will create a large-scale pet park near the Imjin River in northern Gyeonggi. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday said the metropolitan area’s largest pet park is coming to Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi in 2027.

A rendered aerial image of a pet park that will be set up in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will manage the operation of the pet park. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul City will create a large-scale pet park near the Imjin River in northern Gyeonggi.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday said the metropolitan area’s largest pet park is coming to Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi in 2027.

The dog park will take up 120,000 square meters (29.65 acres) near Imjingang Recreation Area.

The park will feature various amenities, including a pet-friendly camping site, pool, playground and pet grooming shop.

With the construction starting this year, the pet park will greet pets and their owners in 2027.

Under the deal between Seoul and Yeoncheon County, the city government will manage the construction and operation. The county will improve the infrastructure and maintain rivers and streams.

Construction will cost 45 billion won ($34.3 million).

The park may become a lifeline to the county, which faces depopulation.

Yeoncheon County, which is geographically larger than the capital, has only 41,000 human residents. The locality is trying to draw a so-called living population - people who visit at least once a month and stay for at least three hours.

The county’s decision appears aimed at reviving the region by attracting pet-raising families from Seoul, who are potential frequent visitors.

Map showing where the pet theme park and pet memorial will be constructed. The pink circle on the left is where the park will be, and the pink circle on the right is where the memorial will be. [SCREEN CAPTURE, SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

For Seoul, the deal provides a leisure and amusement area to pet-raising households, who account for one-fifth of the city's total households. More than 1.14 million pets live in Seoul, according to the city’s count.

Seoulites will now have a space where they can enjoy outdoor activities with their pets outside the overpopulated city, just an hour's drive away.

“Currently, there are only two public pet parks in the greater Seoul area, all of which are in southern Gyeonggi – Yeoju and Osan,” a city government official said. “There are none in Seoul or in northern Gyeonggi.”

The city will also create a memorial facility for dead pets.

In Seoul, more than 130,000 pets die annually.

However, the city believes that only 46.8 percent of dead pets are processed in animal funeral facilities. There are 72 privately owned animal funeral facilities nationwide and one public facility in North Jeolla.

“A public crematorium and charnel house will be set up, allowing people to properly bid farewell to their dead pets at a reasonable price in a place closer to Seoul,” said Lee Su-yeon, head of the Parks and Recreation Bureau of the city government.

A rendered image of a building which will be constructed in the pet park in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Localities nationwide are gearing up to accommodate pet-friendly theme parks in their neighborhoods.

Uiseong County in North Gyeongsang is the nation’s first region with a public pet park. “Uiseong Pet World” has a playground, pool, café, performance hall and camping site. Opened in 2020, it has attracted more than 25,000 visitors as of July 2022.

Gyeonggi and Ulsan followed. Both municipalities currently host pet parks.

Daejeon, Busan, Cheonan in South Chungcheong, and Suncheon in South Jeolla are pursuing their plans for public pet parks in their localities.

A pet park located next to Gimpo International Airport in Gangseo District, western Seoul. The facility is managed by Korea Airport Corporation. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

A non-locality, Korea Airport Corporation built an 8,000 square-meter-sized pet park last October near Gimpo International Airport’s domestic terminal.

Some experts are concerned about the possibility of having abandoned pets and safety accidents.

“Educating pet owners [about safety rules] and improving the pet registration system matter as much as fostering a space where the owners and pet could enjoy,” Jung Kwang-ho, a professor from Seoul National University, said.

“Strong pet protection measures such as prohibiting the entry of unregistered pets should be in place. Besides, animal shelters where people can adopt abandoned animals and training centers should be built together with those parks,” Jung added.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, LEE SOO-KI [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]