South Korean home appliance makers are releasing products that highlight pet care features, industry insiders said Saturday, as they target the growing number of consumers who live with companion animals.

LG Electronics Inc. earlier this week introduced a washer and a dryer that come with steam functions that remove allergens.

Citing results from the Japanese institution Environmental Allergens INFO & CARE, LG said using pet care cycles on their new clothing care appliances will kill dog allergen or cat allergen by 99.99 percent in clothes.

LG said its new 24-kilogram washing machine can also efficiently remove pet-related stains and odors in people's clothes, while upgrading the pet hair removal feature for its 17-kilogram dryer.

The company released the washer on Thursday in South Korea with a price tag of 1.85 million won ($1,645) and it plans to sell the dryer later this month at 1.94 million won.

Samsung unveiled its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered vacuum cleaner, the JetBot 90 AI+, at all-digital Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021 last month.

Using the robot cleaner's camera and sensors, Samsung also introduced SmartThings Pet, a companion animal care service where people can monitor their companion animals remotely through the company's Internet of Things (IoT) platform.

Samsung plans to launch the JetBot 90 AI+ vacuum cleaner and its pet care service in South Korea and the United States in the first half of the year.

The company has been also promoting the Galaxy SmartTag as a useful tool to locate pets. Samsung said people can easily find their companion animals when the tracking tag, which utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy technology, is attached to their pet's collar.

Industry insiders said local electronics firms are expected to introduce more products and services that can support people living with companion animals.

According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the number of households raising pets in the country reached 5.91 million, accounting for one-fourth of the total. (Yonhap)