Consumer disputes involving veterinary clinics are rising as more Korean households live with companion animals. The Korea Consumer Agency recorded 128 requests for redress related to veterinary-clinic use from 2021 through June 2026, according to data released on September 9. The annual number has climbed from nine cases in 2021 to 27 last year, while the first half of 2026 already produced 45 requests. Complaints alleging errors in treatment accounted for about 75 percent of the total, making medical outcomes and communication around procedures the central source of conflict. Resolution remains difficult. Among completed cases, only 26.4 percent ended in an agreement between the consumer and the veterinary provider. That low rate matters because disputes over an animal’s condition before and after treatment can be difficult to reconstruct once records, explanations and consent details are incomplete. The Consumer Agency recommends that owners ask for clear explanations of treatment methods and possible side effects before procedures, document the animal’s condition and obtain relevant medical records. Those steps cannot prevent every adverse outcome, but they can reduce uncertainty if a disagreement later develops over what was explained, performed or recorded.

Why documentation matters