Translation result.
“No waking allowed. If the person next to you snores, that’s not a foul.”
On May 31, Yuhan-Kimberly staged the Our Land, Green and Greener: Forest Dog Sweet-Sleep Contest at Seoul Forest in Seongdong District. Signs bearing that instruction dotted the grounds. The unusual competition awards first place to the team that achieves the deepest, most stabilized sleep while accompanied by their dog. Dog owners and their pets traveled from across the country to take part.
Teams of one dog and one owner competed. Thirty teams were chosen to participate from a pool of 1,140 applicants — a 38-to-1 selection ratio.
Set beneath a canopy of trees, the contest area felt deliberately calm. Dozens of shaded beanbag sofas were laid out amid soft bird song and mellow music; the sum of it made dozing feel effortless. Picnic mats were provided for dogs to lie on. Attendees ranged from neatly braided poodles to canines dressed in colorful pajamas.
The morning program began at 9 a.m. with relaxation massages designed to loosen pre-contest nerves. Owners and dogs received rehabilitation and bonding massages together to promote psychological calm and get into “sleep-ready” mode. During prep, participants donned blindfolds and wearable vests fitted with sensors.
The competition itself ran roughly from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The winner was the participant who achieved the largest reduction in a measured “stress index” over about an hour. Competitors wore vests that tracked heart rate, heart-rate variability, breathing rate and autonomic nervous-system balance; organizers compared readings before and after the session to determine whose physiology stabilized the most.
When the contest began, owners settled into comfortable positions and tried to sleep. Some dogs curled up and snoozed beside their people; others stayed alert in laps or glanced around the clearing. A few dogs were initially watchful, but most relaxed into rest once their owners did.
The winner was Han Do-a, 39, of Gangnam District. Han’s stress index fell by about 18 percent during the hour. She received a one-night stay at SonoPet Vivaldi Park in Hongcheon, Gangwon. “I think a restless night the day before may have helped,” Han said with a laugh. “The staff created a relaxed atmosphere, so I was able to sleep.”
Organizers also awarded a “Best Pajama” prize. Several entrants arrived in pajamas; the winner, Guk Min-ji, 34, competed in a hanbok. “I wanted pretty photos and videos with my dog, so I chose hanbok,” she said. “With so many dogs here, they got to socialize — it was a great experience.”
Participants gave varied reasons for entering. Lee Ui-jin, 37, of Gangnam said organizers encouraged her to join because her dog is naturally calm. “Making memories together in the forest felt meaningful,” she said. One attendee, Park Na-hyun, 28, traveled by express bus from Cheongju. “This is the event’s first year for dogs, so I wanted to see Seoul Forest and try the experience with my dog even though it was a long trip,” she said.
Yuhan-Kimberly has run the Forest Sweet-Sleep Contest since 2016 as part of its Our Land, Green and Greener social campaign. The event is designed to let people relax in a forest setting while experiencing the benefits of nature and healthy sleep. On May 30 the company held the 11th Forest Sweet-Sleep Contest for humans only; 70 people participated, chosen from more than 10,000 applicants — a 176-to-1 ratio.
Launched in 1984, Our Land, Green and Greener is Korea’s longest-running forest and environment public campaign. Yuhan-Kimberly uses tree planting and forest projects to address climate and environmental issues; to date the company says it has planted and maintained 58 million trees at home and abroad. Seoul Forest itself has special meaning for the company: Yuhan-Kimberly helped create roughly 3,000 pyeong (about 106,750 sq ft, or roughly 2.45 acres) of the park during its development in 2003.
This year’s dog edition was held as Korea entered an era of some 10 million pet owners. A trend among younger generations to seek healing in nature — from urban hiking to forest retreats — helped spur interest. Many participants were women from the MZ generation (born 1981–2011), a demographic that could boost the company’s brand image. Yuhan-Kimberly is the maker of consumer and hygiene products including Kleenex, Huggies and Good Feel.
Bae Cheol-yong, leader of Yuhan-Kimberly’s social responsibility workgroup, said the event was aimed at pet owners. “With the rising number of pet owners, we launched this event to introduce the beauty of nature and the benefits of forests,” he said. “It’s also an opportunity to raise awareness of Yuhan-Kimberly’s brands among younger people.”
Reporter Bu Aerin
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