Pet Tarot Boom Fueled by Low Birthrate! South Korean Pet Owners Flock to Fortune Tellers, Paying $15 to Understand Their Furry Friends' Minds

In the upscale Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea, a grey hound named 'Khan' sniffs at tarot cards laid out on a table at a fortune-telling studio called 'Ace Sophia,' gently placing one paw on a card. On the other side of the table, his owner, Ahn Hye-joo (name approximated), anxiously awaits the fortune teller's interpretation, eager to understand the meaning behind the card Khan chose—one depicting a dog chasing its owner.

Hwang Soo-kyung (name approximated), the tarot reader who runs the studio, explained to foreign media that this card indicates Khan is anxious about the five puppies he fathered. 'These are emotions that veterinarians or pet trainers might miss, as they don’t manifest in obvious behavioral changes,' she said.

This emerging service, known as 'Pet Tarot,' has recently surged in popularity across South Korea. The driving force behind this trend is the country’s worsening low birthrate. Facing soaring housing prices and heavy education costs, an increasing number of young South Koreans are choosing not to marry or have children, instead turning to pets for emotional companionship.

Illustration of tarot cards. (Source: Heijin Party)

According to the latest government survey, in this country with the world’s lowest fertility rate, 29.2% of households now own pets—up significantly from 17.4% in 2010.

Hwang Soo-kyung, who has been running her fortune-telling studio since 2014, says demand for 'Pet Tarot' has exploded as pet owners increasingly treat their animals as irreplaceable family members—or even as their sole companions. A single session costs 20,000 KRW (approximately 470 TWD), and nearly all customers return for multiple visits. 'Once you start wondering what your dog (or cat) is thinking, you can’t stop,' she said.

To meet customer demand, Hwang even designed a custom tarot deck specifically for pets. While primarily used for cats and dogs, the service extends to turtles and reptiles as well. She briefly explained to the media that if a pet picks a card with a 'sword' symbol, it could indicate physical discomfort or joint pain.

A Democratic Party candidate for the Arizona State House brings her pet cat to work. (AP)

For many pet owners, this service is more than entertainment—it offers genuine emotional comfort.

Ryu Su-mi (name approximated), who adopted a rescue dog named 'Lulu,' came in for a reading. She told the fortune teller that after she once fainted at home and was taken to the hospital by paramedics, her dog became extremely fearful whenever he saw someone dressed like emergency personnel. Based on the cards Lulu selected, Hwang interpreted that the dog still carries psychological trauma, but is gradually healing.

'I had no way of knowing this myself. We gaze deeply at each other every day, but clearly, there are still many things we cannot communicate through words.'