A general view of a bedbug seen through the eyepiece of a microscope as people attend a lecture on bedbug control at the Korea Pest Control Association (KPCA) in Seoul. South Korea has been largely bedbug-free for years, but it has seen a surge in infestations as travel has rebounded after the pandemic – with more than 100 cases of the bloodsucking pests reported since late November, official statistics show. — AFP
SEOUL: When news broke about a bedbug outbreak in his native South Korea, 29-year-old blockchain engineer and self-professed insectophobe Kang Jae-gu got straight to work – on the data.
As authorities scrambled to install high-temperature steam heaters at the airport and approve industrial-strength insecticides for home use, Kang started mapping reported infestations.
