As climate warms, S. Korea fights new border threat: malarial mosquitoes

Net bags used to trap mosquitoes are seen attached to a mosquito-tracking device used by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency at the Dorasan Peace Park in Paju, near the heavily fortified border that divides North and South Korea. - AFP

PAJU, South Korea: Near the heavily fortified border that divides North and South Korea, a monitoring device is working 24-7 -- not tracking missiles or troop movements, but catching malaria-carrying mosquitoes that may cross the border.

Despite its advanced healthcare service and decades of determined efforts, achieving "malaria-free" status has remained elusive for South Korea, largely thanks to its proximity to the isolated North, where the disease is prevalent.