[Anchor]

Recently, the Turkestan cockroach, a fast-reproducing exotic species, has been discovered in Busan. It is presumed to have entered via ships, and related investigations are currently underway. Furthermore, reports of bedbug damage at accommodations have been piling up, putting pest control on high alert.

[Reporter] Kim Min-sung from KNN.

[Reporter]

This is a roadside area around the Gamman Pier in Busan.

A swarm of cockroaches emerges from a patch of grass.

Some of them show white bands on their bodies; these are Turkestan cockroaches, which mainly inhabit the Middle East region.

[Turkestan cockroach. An invasive alien species. You see the white bands on both ends, right? That is how they are distinguished.]

Due to the risk of disturbing the ecosystem, they cannot be legally brought into South Korea, but they appear to have entered the pier aboard logistics containers and other carriers.

It is a species that has caused problems overseas due to its exceptional reproductive capacity, and a research team from Pusan National University has launched an investigation.

[Lee Sang-bin / Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University: They have a characteristic of increasing in population very quickly. There are a lot of containers and similar structures located around the area. If they ride such means of transportation, there is a possibility that they could spread extensively.]

Bedbugs have also been spotted consecutively at hotels and other places where tourists stay.

A woman who traveled to Busan in August and stayed at a jjimjilbang ( Korean traditional sauna ) brought bedbugs back home with her and is still suffering from the aftermath.

[Kim Hye-sun / Ansan, Gyeonggi Province: (At the jjimjilbang), it suddenly felt itchy so I looked at the towel, thought they were two cockroaches, and just exchanged the towel, but (a few days later) the moment I got off work, bedbugs came out at home, so I realized, ah, I was bitten by bedbugs.]

Reports of damage have been continuing, including a recent report filed at an accommodation in Seomyeon, Busan, stating that someone was bitten by bedbugs.

[Park Seung-ah / Head of Infectious Disease Control Division, Busan Metropolitan City: (Bedbugs) are brought in through carriers via overseas travel and business trips. After traveling abroad or domestically, it is necessary to thoroughly inspect personal belongings.]

As the volume of cargo entering the Port of Busan increases along with a rise in foreign tourists, gaps are also appearing in pest control.

The continued warm weather even into autumn, creating an environment favorable for pests to thrive, is another contributing factor.

Busan Metropolitan City has decided to implement intensive monitoring for bedbug reports while simultaneously strengthening quarantine measures across each district and county.

(Photo: Park Eun-sung, KNN | Video editing: Kim Seung-yeon, KNN | Footage provided by threads @glassmon_love, @lindafree__)

Kim Min-sung, KNN