Fighting Bedbugs at the Border: Incheon Airport’s Heat Treatments for All Luggage

56 Cases of Bedbugs Reported in a Week, No Confirmation on KTX or Subway

The government will implement relief services for incoming passengers at Incheon International Airport. This is to prevent the entry of bed bugs from overseas.

Park Gu-yeon, First Deputy Prime Minister, announced this decision during the Government Joint Response Meeting to Prevent Bed Bug Spread held at the Government Complex in Seoul on the 14th, as reported by the Office of Government Policy Coordination.

The government has decided to initially provide a high-temperature steam relief service using heat guns for the luggage of incoming passengers at Incheon Airport.

The authorities will first implement the relief service at Incheon Airport. Then, they plan to expand it to 13 airports nationwide next year.

This measure considers that bed bugs often enter the country through the belongings of overseas passengers.

However, the luggage bed bug relief is not mandatory and is only provided to those who wish for the service.

The number of bed bug reports received by local governments and others over the past week (November 6-12) increased by 123 to 155 compared to the previous week.

Authorities confirmed bed bugs in 41 cases. This included reports from private pest control companies, and the total number of incidents reached 56.

Public transportation facilities such as subways or KTX, which were of high public concern, have confirmed no bed bugs.

The government also decided to conduct inspections on 110,000 bed bug-vulnerable facilities nationwide. This includes dormitories and accommodations during the intensive pest control period until December 8.

In addition, the government urgently approved eight pesticide products for pest control companies to introduce less resistant pesticides promptly. It permitted the immediate production of four products with secured raw materials.

The authorities decided that household pesticides should undergo subsequent approval procedures for stricter safety verification than those used for company purposes.

The government plans to expedite the approval change, shortening the usual 60-day period to about two weeks.

A government official said, “Due to the recent heightened social interest, the number of bed bug reports is expected to increase temporarily,” and added, “We plan to disclose the number of bed bug reports and incidents every week at each joint government meeting.”