October 28, 2024
SEOUL – In the vast sea of content on YouTube, one particular subgenre is gaining traction among Koreans. It is a video documenting the life of a pet, especially a dog or cat.
Catering to viewers who want to escape the stresses of everyday life by watching adorable animals, pet videos have fostered a large and loyal community of fans who watch the fun moments on a regular basis.
Some of these famous animals are not only cute, but also have unique atmospheres, backgrounds, and personalities. Here we will introduce four of them.
Cheolmi: Lucky Survivor
Cheolmi’s story began on a fateful day in August 2018, when a girl later known as “Cheolmi’s sister” found the puppy washed away in a ditch. With no experience in raising animals, she turned to an online community for advice on how to care for rescued puppies. Photos of the fluffy puppy with wide eyes quickly went viral.
Named after injeolmi (rice cake sprinkled with bean flour), cheolmi quickly attracted widespread attention. Celebrities also expressed their love for the pup, making Jolmi an online sensation. Jolmi’s life story adds depth to her fame and makes her survival even more miraculous, as one of her brothers drowned on the same day.
As Cheolmi grew older, negative opinions began to appear, such as, “Now that she’s grown, she’s no longer cute,” and “I hesitated to like her posts because my dog was getting older.” The shop owner replied coolly, “Living things grow.”
Chulmi remains a beloved star with over 548,000 followers on Instagram and over 114,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Jolmi is named after injeolmi, a rice cake sprinkled with bean flour. Photo: Chulmi’s Instagram/Korea Herald
Monja: Solo Star
Monja is another well-known name among pet lovers. This poodle first appeared on YouTube with her second poodle, Monsil. The owner, a typical office worker, started uploading videos of his dog reacting to everyday situations. The channel gained popularity in 2017 after a video of their playful reactions to chewing gum went viral.
Last year, Monsil passed away, leaving Monja to continue the channel alone. Despite the loss, Monja continues to bring joy to viewers with her daily adventures. Mongja’s videos continue to be a haven for fans who have followed her journey since the beginning. The most popular video, which has been viewed more than 12 million times, shows Monja triumphantly tearing through plastic wrap that his owner playfully placed to block a doorway. Mongja has over 100,000 followers on Instagram and 824,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Monja the poodle is also a well-known name among pet lovers. Photo: Mongja’s YOUTUBE channel/Korea Herald
Underworld: Comedy with cats
Dogs dominate many of South Korea’s pet-themed YouTube channels, but cats aren’t far behind. “Underworld,” a channel run by comedian Song Ha-bin, is gaining popularity for its combination of humor and heart. The channel, which features the antics of cats Chum-bong and Chomji, has more than 934,000 subscribers and 545,000 followers on Instagram.
Song’s comic timing and improvised scenarios involving cats set his channel apart from typical pet content. Viewers are drawn to the cats’ unpredictable behavior and Son’s entertaining commentary. The channel grew quickly through YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, reaching over 100,000 subscribers just three months after launching in 2022. One of the most popular videos shows Song collecting cats and giving them churu (cat treats) as a reward. He has appeared in the channel’s top clips and has been viewed over 9 million times.
“Underworld,” a YouTube channel run by comedian Song Ha-bin, features the antics of cats Chum-bong and Chomji, and has over 934,000 subscribers. He also has 545,000 followers on Instagram. Photo: Underworld Instagram/Korea Herald
Bori: Shy Bichon Frize
Bori, a fluffy Bichon Frize, is also a popular pet YouTube star. One of her most-watched videos, which has been viewed 8 million times, shows a hilarious moment when Boli’s owner tells Boli, “Mommy is here,” while Boli looks sleepy. She stumbles to the door, but no one is there, and her disappointment is visibly evident.
Bori’s YouTube journey began in 2017 and her content ranges from everyday life moments to workout tips. Adopted in 2014, Bori was initially taken in by a family to accompany his disabled mother. Fans love her shy and shy personality, which is accentuated by her endearing quirks, such as hiding her face when she’s upset or embarrassed. ” Bori has 210,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel.
Bori has 210,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel. Photo: Bori’s Instagram/Korea Herald
