Termites That Destroy Houses Appear in Gangnam? "If True, It's a Serious Situation"

Netizens Upload Photos of Insects Found at Home Online
Expert Says "They Appear to Be Drywood Termites in the Photos"

Authorities have launched an investigation after reports of dozens of insects suspected to be invasive white termites appearing in a residential area in Gangnam, Seoul.

The appearance of an insect presumed to be a drywood termite from the family Kalotermitidae, posted on an online community on the 17th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Yonhap News Agency and the Ministry of Environment on the 18th, the National Institute of Biological Resources and the National Institute of Ecology began an investigation after receiving a report the previous day of dozens of white termites appearing in a house in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The results of the investigation are expected to be released on the afternoon of the 19th.

The news of the appearance of the invasive white termites was first shared on an online community the day before. A netizen posted on the 'Insect Bulletin Board' that dozens of unknown insects had appeared in their home, along with photos. Other netizens who saw the post suggested that the insects appeared to be white termites belonging to the family Kalotermitidae, known as 'mareunnamu white termites (drywood termites),' which are not native to Korea, and urged the poster to promptly report the sighting to the authorities.

Professor Park Hyun-chul, a white termite expert at Pusan National University, told Yonhap News Agency in an interview, "Based on the photos posted on the online community, they appear to be white termites belonging to the Kalotermitidae family," adding, "If true, this is a very serious situation." He also noted, "If the white termites in the photos are indeed Kalotermitidae, this would be the first discovery of such termites in Korea." There are a total of 489 species in the Kalotermitidae family, with about 457 species estimated to exist excluding extinct ones.

According to Professor Park, the white termites commonly found in Korea do not gnaw on wood without moisture, but Kalotermitidae white termites do gnaw on dry wood, which can cause significant damage to household furniture and other items. He stated, "Kalotermitidae white termites are considered some of the most troublesome insects worldwide."

Professor Park also expressed concern about the wings seen on the white termites in the photos posted online. These wings are for mating flights, and white termites typically form colonies and only begin mating flights after the colony has stabilized for about 5 to 10 years. In other words, the presence of Kalotermitidae white termites in Korea may indicate that they have been present for a long time and are widely spread.

He added, "In Australia, Kalotermitidae white termites have caused houses to collapse," and noted, "Another problem is that there are no experts in Korea to control this species."

White termites native to Korea include the Japanese white termite (Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe) and the Kanmon white termite (Reticulitermes kanmonensis Takematsu). In 2021, a report was published in the Journal of the Korean Society of Applied Entomology about the discovery of a species of Kalotermitidae called 'tongjja white termite' on Yeoseodo Island, Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do. Song Jeong-hoon, a researcher at the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences who participated in the report, told Yonhap News Agency by phone, "To identify the exact species, the colony and soldier termites need to be observed, but based on the photos posted on the online community, they appear to be Kalotermitidae white termites."