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[Herald Economy = Reporter Bu Aeri] “No getting up under any circumstances. If the person next to you snores, you won’t be disqualified.”
Signs carrying that warning dotted Seoul Forest in Seongdong‑gu on May 31, where Yuhan‑Kimberly staged its “Forest Dog Sweet‑Sleep Contest” as part of the company’s “Our Land Greener, Greener” campaign. The contest awards the top prize to the person who achieves the deepest sleep alongside their dog. Dog owners and their pets traveled from across the country to take part.
Thirty teams — one dog and one owner per team — competed, and organizers said 1,140 teams applied, producing a selection rate of 38 to 1. Entrants were chosen after submitting personal stories; Yuhan‑Kimberly prioritized clear narratives, such as people caring for rescue dogs or those grappling with high levels of stress from busy lives.
The contest area, set among the dense trees of Seoul Forest, felt calm and deliberate. Dozens of beanbag sofas shaded by the canopy filled the site. Birdsong and soft music blended into the background; lie down on a beanbag, close your eyes, and sleep arrived easily. Picnic mats were laid out for the dogs. The lineup ranged from neatly groomed poodles to pets in colorful sleepwear.
The day’s program began at 9 a.m. with massages designed to ease pre‑contest nerves. Owners and dogs took part in rehabilitation and bonding massages to settle into a “ready to sleep” state. During prep time, participants put on blindfolds and wearable vests as they readied themselves for the contest.
The main contest ran from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Over roughly one hour, the winner was the participant who reduced their stress index the most. Competitors wore vests equipped with sensors that tracked heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, and autonomic nervous system balance to produce a composite “stress index.” Organizers compared each participant’s readings before and after the session; the individual whose measurements stabilized the most was declared the winner. The dogs’ sleep quality was not part of the scoring.
Once the contest began, owners eased into comfortable positions and dozed. Some dogs slept beside their people; others sat in laps, watching the scene or sniffing the surroundings. A few dogs were wary at first, but most relaxed once their owners fell asleep.
The winner was Do‑a Han, 39, from Gangnam. Her stress index fell by nearly 18% over about an hour. She received a one‑night stay at SonoPet Vivaldi Park in Hongcheon, Gangwon. Han laughed that a restless night the previous evening may have helped her performance and credited the event’s experts for creating a setting that allowed her to sleep deeply.
The contest also presented a “Best Pajama” award. Several participants arrived in comfortable sleepwear, and the winner, Ji Guk, 34, wore a hanbok. Ji said she chose traditional dress to capture pretty photos and videos with her dog, and added that the gathering was a valuable chance for pets to socialize.
Participants came for various reasons. Lee Euijin, 37, from Gangnam, said she entered because her dog is naturally calm and friends encouraged her to try it. “It’s meaningful to make memories together in the forest,” she said. One participant traveled by express bus from Cheongju with her dog; Park Nahyun, 28, said she wanted to see Seoul Forest and try the event since this was the first year the contest included dogs.
Yuhan‑Kimberly has run the “Forest Sweet‑Sleep Contest” since 2016. The event is part of its long‑running “Our Land Greener, Greener” social campaign, designed to help people experience the value of nature and the importance of healthy sleep by resting in the forest. On May 30, the company also held the 11th human‑only “Forest Sweet‑Sleep Contest,” which drew 70 participants; organizers said more than 10,000 people applied, yielding a 176‑to‑1 competition ratio.
The “Our Land Greener, Greener” campaign is South Korea’s longest‑running forest and environmental public campaign; Yuhan‑Kimberly launched it in 1984. The company has planted and maintained about 58 million trees at home and abroad. Seoul Forest, the event’s venue, is especially meaningful to the company: Yuhan‑Kimberly helped develop roughly 3,000 pyeong of the forest when Seoul Forest was created in 2003.
This year’s dog‑inclusive contest was timed with the milestone of roughly 10 million pet owners in Korea. With younger people increasingly seeking relief from busy urban life through outdoor retreats — from Gwanak Mountain pilgrimages to other nature escapes — the event drew many female participants from the MZ generation (born 1981–2011), which organizers said could help bolster the company’s brand image. Yuhan‑Kimberly manufactures household and hygiene products such as Kleenex, Huggies, and Good Feel.
Bae Cheolyong, leader of Yuhan‑Kimberly’s Social Responsibility Workgroup, said the company launched the dog contest to reach a growing population of pet owners and to highlight the restorative power of forests. “It also gives young people a chance to learn about Yuhan‑Kimberly’s brands,” he said.
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