YONGIN, South Korea – In a meeting room at an animal-health company south of Seoul, Ms Baek Na-eun settled into a chair for an interview with a pet cushion beside her. Nacho, her white pomeranian, sat quietly throughout.

“Making money to look after Nacho is the reason I come to work,” said Ms Baek, 28, who asked for permission to bring her dog to work at Green Cross Veterinary Products soon after she started working there nearly three years ago.

Her routine, once almost impossible in South Korea’s corporate culture, is becoming less unusual as employers experiment with running pet-friendly offices in a country where just over a quarter of the population now lives with a pet.

A June 2025 report by South Korean finance holding company KB Financial Group’s Management Research Institute found that 5.91 million households, or 26.7 per cent of all South Korean households, keep a combined 7.63 million dogs and cats.

The same report found that 87.2 per cent of pet-owning households and 68.2 per cent of non-owning households agree that “pets are members of the family”.

The animal health company launched a programme called Pawffice in December 2025 as a monthly trial tied to its Happy Family Day, when employees leave early to spend time with loved ones, including their pets.

The company expanded the policy in 2026 to a daily option after five dogs were brought to the office on the first occasion to a mostly positive response from staff.

Ms Baek saw only benefits in having Nacho by her side.

“Whenever I need a quick break, I take my pet out for a walk. It really helps me clear my head and shake off some stress, which I think has a positive impact on both of us,” she said. “Going on these walks with my co-workers has actually made our communication a lot smoother.”

Employees who wish to participate are asked to submit documents, including a guardian consent form, a pre-registration form, and proof of vaccinations. After that, they...