Past simply cute, these pets have distinctive tales, and large followings

In YouTube’s huge sea of content material, one explicit subgenre is gaining traction amongst Koreans: video chronicles of the lives of pets, significantly canines and cats.

Catering to viewers trying to escape life’s stresses by watching cute animals, pet movies have cultivated a big and devoted neighborhood of followers who recurrently tune in for lighthearted moments.

A few of these well-known animals provide extra than simply cuteness — they’ve a novel vibe, backstory or character. Listed here are 4 of them.

Jeolmi: fortunate survivor

Jeolmi’s story started on a fateful day in August 2018, when a woman, later referred to as “Jeolmi’s older sister,” discovered the pet being swept away in a ditch. With no prior expertise in elevating animals, the lady turned to on-line communities for recommendation on tips on how to take care of the rescued pet. Pictures of the wide-eyed, fluffy pet rapidly went viral.

Jeolmi, named after injeolmi (glutinous rice desserts dusted with bean powder), quickly garnered widespread consideration. Even celebrities expressed their love for the pup, turning Jeolmi into a web-based sensation. Jeolmi’s life story provides depth to her fame, as certainly one of her siblings drowned that very same day, making her survival much more miraculous.

As Jeolmi grew, unfavorable feedback began appearing, comparable to “It’s not cute anymore as a result of it’s grown,” and, “I hesitated to ‘like’ the put up as a result of the canine acquired greater.” The proprietor cooly responded by saying, “All dwelling beings develop.”

Jeolmi stays a beloved star with over 548,000 Instagram followers and 114,000 YouTube subscribers.

Mongja: solo star

Mongja is one other acquainted identify to pet lovers. The poodle first appeared on YouTube alongside a second poodle, Mongsil. Their proprietor, a typical workplace employee, started importing movies of the canines reacting to on a regular basis situations. The channel took off in 2017 when a video displaying their playful response to chewing gum went viral.

Final yr, Mongsil handed away, leaving Mongja to proceed the channel alone. Regardless of the loss, Mongja continues to carry pleasure to viewers together with her day by day adventures. Mongja’s movies stay a comforting area for followers who’ve adopted her journey because the starting. The most well-liked video, with over 12 million views, options Mongja triumphantly breaking by means of plastic wrap that her proprietor playfully put as much as block the doorway. Mongja’s Instagram has greater than 100,000 followers, and her YouTube subscriber rely stands at 824,000.

Underworld: comedy with cats

Whereas canines dominate a lot of Korea’s pet-themed YouTube channels, cats are usually not far behind. Channel “Underworld,” run by comic Tune Ha-bin, has gained recognition for its mix of humor and coronary heart. That includes the antics of cats Chunbong and Cheomji, the channel has over 934,000 subscribers, and it additionally has 545,000 Instagram followers.

Tune’s comedic timing and ad-libbed situations involving the cats make his channel stand out from typical pet content material. Viewers are drawn to the cats’ unpredictable conduct and Tune’s entertaining commentary. The channel’s speedy development, fueled by YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, helped it surpass 100,000 subscribers inside simply three months because the launch in 2022. Some of the standard movies, the place Tune gathers the cats and rewards them with Churu (cat treats) for starring within the channel’s prime clips, has surpassed 9 million views.

Bori: the shy bichon frise

Bori, a fluffy bichon frise, is one other beloved pet YouTube star. One in all her most-watched movies, with 8 million views, exhibits the hilarious second when Bori’s proprietor tells her, “Mother is right here,” just for Bori to stumble sleepily to the door and discover nobody there, her disappointment seen.

Bori’s YouTube journey started in 2017, and her content material ranges from day by day life moments to coaching ideas. Adopted in 2014, Bori was initially introduced into the household to maintain her proprietor’s disabled mom firm. Followers adore her shy and timid nature, which is highlighted by her endearing quirks, like hiding her face when she feels upset or shy.” Bori has 210,000 YouTube subscribers.