'No waking up allowed' — owners and dogs compete to nap in Seoul forest

"No waking up allowed. Snoring by the person next to you is not a foul."

Signs bearing that message were posted throughout Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu on May 31, where Yuhan-Kimberly hosted its "Woori Gangsan Pureuge Pureuge Forest Deep Sleep with Dogs" contest. The event is exactly what it sounds like: the participant who sleeps most soundly alongside their dog wins. Pet owners and their dogs traveled from across the country to take part.

Each team consisted of one dog and one owner. Thirty teams competed in total, selected from 1,140 applicants — a competition ratio of 38 to 1.

The venue, set among the dense trees of Seoul Forest, had a calm and tranquil feel. Dozens of beanbag sofas were spread across a shaded area. Birdsong mingled with soft background music, and lying back on a beanbag with eyes closed, sleep came easily. Picnic mats were laid out beside each beanbag for the dogs. The canine contestants ranged from a poodle with a neatly braided topknot to dogs dressed in an assortment of colorful pajamas.

The event began at 9 a.m. with a pre-competition dog massage session designed to ease tension. Owners and their pets went through rehabilitation and bonding massages together to find a sense of calm and shift into "sleep mode." During a preparation period, participants put on sleep masks and donned wearable vests before the contest began.

The competition ran from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Over roughly one hour, the participant whose stress index dropped by the greatest percentage would be declared the winner. Contestants wore vests equipped with sensors that measured heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate and autonomic nervous system balance to calculate a composite stress index. The winner would be whoever showed the greatest improvement between their pre- and post-competition readings. Once the contest started in earnest, owners settled into their most comfortable positions and tried to drift off. Some dogs curled up alongside their owners; others sat in their owners' laps and gazed at the surroundings or explored the area. A few dogs appeared alert at first, but most soon followed their owners into rest mode.

The winner was Han Do-a, 39, from Gangnam-gu, Seoul, whose stress index fell by nearly 18 percent over the roughly one-hour contest. She received 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," Han said with a laugh. "The experts created such a relaxed atmosphere that I was able to fall into a deep sleep."

The contest also named a "Best Pajamas" winner. Several participants had indeed shown up in comfortable sleepwear. Kuk Min-ji, 34, who took the title, 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 — a really good experience."

Participants came with a variety of stories. Lee Eui-jin, 37, also from Gangnam-gu, said friends had recommended the event because her dog is naturally laid-back and calm. "Being able to make memories together in the forest is really meaningful," 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 is the first time the contest has been held, so I wanted to see Seoul Forest and share the experience with my dog — even if it meant coming from far away," she said.

Yuhan-Kimberly has held its "Forest Deep Sleep" contest since 2016 as part of its "Woori Gangsan Pureuge Pureuge" corporate social responsibility campaign, which aims to let participants experience the value of nature and the importance of healthy sleep by resting in a forest setting. This year, a separate 11th edition of the human-only contest was also held May 30, drawing 70 participants. That event attracted more than 10,000 applicants, a competition ratio of 176 to 1.

The "Woori Gangsan Pureuge Pureuge" campaign, launched by Yuhan-Kimberly in 1984, is South Korea's longest-running public-interest campaign focused on forests and the environment. Through tree planting and forest stewardship, the company works to address climate change and environmental challenges, and has planted and tended 58 million trees at home and abroad. Seoul Forest, where the May 31 contest was held, holds particular significance for Yuhan-Kimberly: the company helped create a forest of roughly 9,900 square meters — about 3,000 pyeong (1 pyeong equals 3.3 square meters) — when the park was established in 2003.

This year's inaugural pet edition came as South Korea's pet-owning population surpassed 10 million. The event reflects a broader trend, particularly among younger generations, of seeking healing in nature as an escape from busy urban life — a movement visible in phenomena such as the recent surge in recreational hiking on Gwanaksan. The May 31 contest drew a notably large number of MZ generation (born 1981–2011) women participants, which observers said should also help raise the company's brand profile. Yuhan-Kimberly is a lifestyle and hygiene products manufacturer whose brands include Kleenex, Huggies and Goodfeel.

"As the pet-owning population grows, we wanted to reach that audience and share the beauty of nature and the benefits of forests," said Bae Cheol-yong, leader of Yuhan-Kimberly's social responsibility work group. "It is also becoming an opportunity to introduce our various brands to younger people."