Bedbug fear spreads across Seoul

Authorities in Seoul are struggling to control the spread of bedbugs, as a total of 17 bedbug infestations were reported in seven Seoul districts as of Sunday, according to local reports.

The city has set aside 500 million won ($381,000) to prevent bedbug infestations from spreading, particularly in neighborhoods with sanitation issues. As part of this initiative, the city will distribute self-checklists and to residents in those areas.

Last Thursday, health officials discovered bedbugs in a goshiwon, a short-term budget accommodation that has no separate kitchen and bathroom, located in the Jung-gu area of the city's center. Bedbugs were found on the mattresses and wallpaper of the goshiwon.

Bedbug reports began to surface in mid-September after a student was reported bitten by the insects in a dorm room at Keimyung University in Daegu.

Following the outbreak, people in Seoul have turned to public health centers asking for help to confirm which insect they have been bitten by and the types of measures they should take.

To control bedbugs, the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday rolled out a comprehensive insect prevention scheme to achieve a “zero-bedbug city.”

Under the measures, the metropolitan government will operate a report center allowing people to quickly notify public health centers or the city’s special 120 Dasan public call service number of bedbug appearances. The city’s ward offices will then dispatch authorities to inspect the reported infestation and conduct necessary measures.

The city also plans to inspect 3,175 bedbug-prone public facilities, including hotels, accommodation facilities and public bathhouses, to assess bedding maintenance and sanitary conditions.

Bedbugs were nearly extinct in Korea after pest control campaigns operated in the 1960s and the adoption of DDT pesticides in the 1970s.