"'Bindae, Already Spread in Seoul'... Reports Continue from Various Regions, 'Emergency'"

Expert: "Likely Already Spread Throughout Seoul"
Seoul City: "Focusing on Vulnerable Groups and Lodging Facilities"

Recently, bedbugs have been appearing nationwide, including in Incheon and Daegu, prompting local governments to focus on pest control. In particular, with a dense population of 9.4 million in Seoul, reports of bedbugs have continued from various areas, raising alarms.

On the 5th, according to Seoul's local governments and public health centers, 17 reports of bedbug discoveries were received from 7 out of the 25 autonomous districts.

On the 2nd, at a goshiwon near Namdaemun in Jung-gu, Seoul, a public health center that responded to a report found actual bedbugs on bed mattresses, bedding, and wallpaper during an inspection. Bedbugs were also found in three nearby rooms, leading to pest control operations.

Experts believe that bedbugs have likely already spread throughout Seoul. It has been reported that inquiries and requests related to bedbug pest control have significantly increased over the past two months to private pest control companies. Because of this, it is estimated that the actual damage is greater than the number of reports received by authorities.

Bedbugs were known to have been virtually eradicated in Korea due to the Saemaul Undong movement in the 1960s and the introduction of DDT insecticides in the 1970s, which drastically reduced their population. However, recently, bedbugs have spread in foreign countries such as France, and with the increase in foreign arrivals to Korea, cases of bedbug detection domestically have become frequent.

On the 19th of last month, pest control company personnel conducted disinfection to exterminate bedbugs at the dormitory of Keimyung University in Dalseo-gu, Daegu.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Although bedbugs do not transmit infectious diseases, their bloodsucking disrupts sleep and causes itching and secondary skin infections. If bitten by bedbugs, one should wash the area with water and soap and consult a doctor or pharmacist for treatment methods and medication prescriptions according to symptoms.

To check if bedbugs are present in a home or shared accommodation, one should inspect gaps in bed mattresses, frames, sofas, bookshelves, bedding, and other areas. Looking for traces such as bedbug residues or excrement, or places with a musty or moldy smell, is also helpful.

If bedbugs are found, it is effective to treat them with high-temperature steam or vacuum cleaners, combined with chemical pest control such as insecticide treatment. When disposing of mattresses or furniture contaminated with bedbugs, pest control treatment must be performed to prevent the spread of bedbugs to other places.

In response, considering that reports are concentrated in types of communal housing where vulnerable groups such as residents of jjokbangchon (small rooms) and goshiwon live, Seoul City urgently allocated a budget of 500 million won for pest control in hygiene-vulnerable facilities and began focused management. They produced and distributed self-inspection checklists so residents can check for bedbug occurrences themselves in jjokbangchon and goshiwon, supported disinfectants, and plan to support pest control if bedbugs occur and continue management through a reporting center.

Additionally, since the 31st of last month, a full inspection of 3,175 locations including local government facilities and accommodations, bathhouses, and jjimjilbangs (Korean saunas) with a high possibility of bedbug occurrence has begun. They plan to promote bedbug prevention methods and conduct special inspections on hygiene management such as facility disinfection and bedding washing.

Multi-use facilities frequently used by citizens, such as subways and movie theaters, are also targets for pest control. For subways, Seoul City regularly cleans fabric seats and plans to gradually replace fabric seats.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.