According to the survey, 21.3 percent of the polled children wanted to get a pet, (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Korean children were hoping to get a pet as a present for this year’s Children’s Day, according to a survey conducted by Tooniverse, a Korean cable channel for children, from May 1 to 4 on 1,400 children aged between 4 and 14.
According to the survey, 21.3 percent of the polled children wanted to get a pet, while 21 percent said that they hoped to receive clothes and shoes for Children’s Day.
It appears that Korean children seek companionship from pets, as they are increasingly spending time away from their parents. According to Statistics Korea, 42.9 percent of Korean families had two income-earners in 2013.
In addition to the popularity of pets and clothing, 11 percent and 8.1 percent of children said they wanted smartphones and toys respectively, while 7.7 percent hoped to receive a gaming console.
When asked about their plans for Children’s Day, 27.3 percent said they hoped to go theme parks, while 24.8 percent said they would spend the day with their peers. Surprisingly, 15.2 percent said they would just stay home and watch TV.
While children were happy that this year’s Children’s Day landed on a Tuesday, which also made Monday a holiday for many schools, parents had a hard time taking a leave of absence for their children.
This year, taking care of children will be harder than usual for parents even after Children’s Day, as the Korean government has encouraged schools to have a short-term vacation lasting from 5 to 8 days between May 1 and 14.
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
