'Snoring is not a foul' — Seoul forest nap contest with dogs draws 38-to-1 odds

"No waking up allowed. Your neighbor snoring is not a foul."

Signs bearing that message were posted throughout Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu on Saturday, where Yuhan-Kimberly hosted its inaugural "Woori Gangsan Pureuge Pureuge Sweet Forest Slumber Competition." The winner is simply whoever falls into the deepest sleep alongside their dog. Pet owners and their dogs traveled from across the country to take part.

Thirty teams, each consisting of one dog and one owner, competed. The competition drew 1,140 applicants for those 30 spots — a ratio of 38 to 1. Participants were selected based on written entries describing why they wanted to attend. Preference went to applicants with compelling stories, such as those raising rescued dogs or coping with high stress from busy daily lives, Yuhan-Kimberly said.

The competition venue, tucked among the dense trees of Seoul Forest, had a calm, tranquil feel. Dozens of beanbag sofas were spread across a shaded area, and the combination of birdsong and soft background music made it easy to close one's eyes and drift off. Picnic mats were laid out beside each beanbag for the dogs. The canine competitors arrived in style — from a poodle with an elaborately braided topknot to dogs dressed in all manner of colorful pajamas.

The event began at 9 a.m. with pre-competition dog massages designed to ease tension. Owners and their pets worked through rehabilitation and bonding massage routines together, settling into a sense of calm and easing into "sleep mode." During a preparation period, participants put on sleep masks and strapped on wearable vests ahead of the main competition.

The competition itself ran from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Over roughly one hour, the participant whose stress index dropped by the greatest margin would be crowned the winner. Each competitor wore a vest equipped with sensors measuring heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate and autonomic nervous system balance to calculate an overall stress index. The winner was determined by comparing readings before and after the competition to find whose numbers stabilized the most. Whether the dogs themselves slept was not factored into the scoring.

Once the competition began in earnest, owners settled into their most comfortable positions and tried to sleep. Some dogs curled up alongside their owners, while others lay in their owners' arms gazing blankly at the scenery or sniffing around their surroundings. A few dogs were visibly on edge at first, but most followed their owners into rest mode once the owners began to doze.

The winner was Han Do-a, 39, from Gangnam-gu, Seoul, whose stress index fell by nearly 18 percent over the roughly one-hour competition. She took home a one-night stay at Sono Pet Vivaldi Park in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. "I think not sleeping well the night before actually helped me win," she said with a laugh. "The experts created such a relaxed atmosphere that I was able to fall into a deep sleep."

The event also named a "Best Pajamas" winner. Several participants had indeed shown up in actual pajamas, but the title went to Guk Min-ji, 34, who arrived dressed in hanbok, traditional Korean attire. "I chose hanbok because I wanted to take pretty photos and videos with my dog," she said. "With so many dogs gathered in one place, it was also a great chance for my dog to develop social skills — it was a wonderful experience."

The participants' stories were as varied as their outfits. Lee Eui-jin, 37, also from Gangnam-gu, said friends had encouraged her to enter because her dog is naturally calm and easygoing. "Being able to make memories together in the forest means a lot," she said. One participant traveled from Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province by express bus with her dog. Park Na-hyeon, 28, said the journey was worth it. "This was the first time the competition has been held, so I wanted to see Seoul Forest and share the experience with my dog — so I came even though it's far," she said.

Yuhan-Kimberly has held its Sweet Forest Slumber competition since 2016 as part of its corporate social responsibility campaign, "Keep Korea Green." The event lets participants experience the value of nature and the importance of healthy sleep by resting in a forest setting. This year, the company also held the 11th edition of its humans-only version on Friday, drawing 70 participants. That event attracted more than 10,000 applicants, a competition ratio of 176 to 1.

The "Keep Korea Green" campaign, which Yuhan-Kimberly launched in 1984, is South Korea's longest-running forest and environmental public-interest campaign. It works to address climate change and environmental issues through tree planting and forest stewardship, and has planted and tended 58 million trees at home and abroad. Seoul Forest, where Saturday's competition was held, holds particular significance for the company: Yuhan-Kimberly helped create the park in 2003, contributing to a forest covering approximately 3,000 pyeong (about 9,900 square meters).

This year's addition of a pet-inclusive category came as South Korea's pet-owning population reached an estimated 10 million. The move also reflects a broader trend, particularly among younger generations, of seeking relaxation in nature as an escape from hectic urban life — visible in phenomena such as the recent surge in recreational hiking on Gwanak Mountain in Seoul. Saturday's competition drew a notably large turnout of MZ generation (born 1981–2011) women, which observers said should help boost the company's brand image. Yuhan-Kimberly manufactures everyday hygiene and household products under brands including Kleenex, Huggies and Good Feel.

Bae Cheol-yong, leader of Yuhan-Kimberly's social responsibility work group, said the pet-focused event was conceived to reach a growing audience of pet owners and spread awareness of the benefits of nature and forests. "It is also becoming an opportunity to introduce our various brands to younger people," he said.