Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – South Korean people have a unique way of getting rid of loneliness. If animals are generally chosen as pets to ward off loneliness, the adult people of Ginseng Country actually choose stones to keep.
Launching from The Korea Herald, the culture of storing stones in South Korea has actually been carried out since the Joseon Dynasty. At that time, the stone called 'Suseok' was a prominent collectible among scholars.
'Suseok' briefly made a comeback in the late 20th century and emerged as collectibles for businessmen who began amassing wealth during South Korea's economic boom.
At that time, 'Suseok' was believed to be a good luck charm that brought good fortune, wealth, and was an object that added “sophistication” to a home or office.
Although the culture of collecting stones in South Korea has begun to fade in recent decades, the trend of keeping stones has risen again during the Covid-19 pandemic with a different and dramatic meaning.
If in ancient times 'Suseok' were kept as collectibles for display, nowadays South Korean people actually buy stones called 'Pet Stones', aka pet stones to relieve feelings of loneliness.
“I first bought 'Pet Stone' during the pandemic. I just wanted to have something by my side while working remotely. It gave me a sense of companionship,” said the owner of the pet stone, Lim (29), quoted Friday (3/5/ 2024).
According to reports The Korea Herald, Pet rocks in South Korea tend to be decorated by their owners so that they have their own personification. Until now, many people upload photos of pet rocks via social media just like uploading photos of pets.
Not only that, local people also give names, prepare beds, wear clothes, and even dress up their pet rocks as if they were real.
“Sometimes I take my pet rock from its bed and pat it. Sometimes I also ask it to talk,” said Lim.
South Korean artist Kim Hyung-ki said that people seem to think that pet stones are a good means of calming the mind. Moreover, there are many young people who are learning how to paint pet rocks.
“There are many young people who sign up for workshops at my place to learn to paint on pet rocks,” said Kim Hyung-ki.
“Some people who come to my studio seem to use the act of painting on rocks to refresh their minds,” he continued.
It is known that having a pet is one way that is considered capable of overcoming feelings of loneliness for a person. Similar to pets, pet stones are said to provide similar benefits because they can provide a sense of connection.
The difference is, caring for stones is considered much more efficient when compared to maintaining animals or plants because almost no effort is required to care for inanimate objects.
A South Korean who owns a pet rock, Park (31) admits that one of the advantages of having a pet rock is that it doesn't require attention, as is usually done with pets in general.
“I can't keep a cat or dog because I have to work. I like having a pet because I don't have to worry about feeding it or taking it for a walk,” said Park.
According to experts, the psychology underlying pet rock culture is also the fragmentation within South Korean society, such as the absence or underdevelopment of relationships between society and certain groupings of members within it.
“I see that many young people who feel stressed in maintaining relationships tend to easily abandon their relationships and turn to other measures to overcome loneliness,” said researcher at the Consumer Trend Center of Seoul, Jeon Mi-young.
Price of Pet Stone: Starting from IDR 70 thousand
Even though this is not the most popular hobby, pet rock sellers admit that quite a few South Koreans buy pet rocks. In fact, as many as 300 pet stones are sold every month.
“We sell around 300 'Pet Stones' a month. Our main customers are women in their 20s and 30s,” said the stone seller.
According to the seller, the price of pet stones ranges from 6,000 won to 10 thousand won or around Rp. 70 thousand to Rp. 118 thousand (assuming an exchange rate of Rp. 11.81/won).
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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