"'Bindae on Bundang Line' SNS Rumor Causes Distress Among Citizens and Authorities"

Suin?Sinbundang Line "Zero Reports of Bedbugs"
Fatigue Increases Over Subway Cheon Seats and Suspicious Deliveries

Fear is spreading as 'bindae' (bedbugs) have appeared across the country, including Seoul. The situation has become so serious that a new term, 'bindae phobia,' has emerged. As a result, unverified fake news is spreading rapidly, causing fatigue among both citizens and businesses.

A claimed to have spotted a bedbug on the Bundang Line. [Photo by X (formerly Twitter) capture]

On the 8th, a post titled "I saw a bindae on the subway" was uploaded on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

The author, Mr. A, claimed, "This just happened on the subway. A woman told me that a bindae was attached to a student's leg, and when the student shook his left leg, the bindae fell to the floor. The woman told the student to kill it, so the student stomped on it."

He continued, "Everyone on the subway froze. Everyone was staring at the bindae. Even the person with the bindae was standing. I thought it might be less if they didn't sit on the subway seat because bindae stick to fabric, but that was not the case," he said.

A claimed to have spotted a bedbug on the Bundang Line.
[Photo by X (formerly Twitter) capture]

By 10 p.m. on the 8th, the post had been reposted or quoted about 2,000 times, spreading rapidly online. As more people asked, "Which subway line had the bindae?" Mr. A claimed, four hours after the initial post, that the sighting was on the Bundang Line.

He added, "I hope it was not a bindae but some other insect," and emphasized, "I don't know how to be cautious, but everyone should be careful wherever you are."

Suwon and Shinbundang Lines: "No Reports of Bindae"

People reacting to the post saying "Bedbugs appeared on the Bundang Line."
[Photo by X (formerly Twitter)]

The impact of the 'Bundang Line bindae' was strong. On the morning of the 9th, 'Bundang Line bindae' trended in real-time on X, and office workers commuting on the Bundang Line reacted with comments like, "I can't take the Bundang Line for fear of catching bindae," and "After seeing that post yesterday, I became scared to ride the Bundang Line."

However, according to Asia Economy's investigation, this was not true. It was difficult to determine whether Mr. A was referring to the Suin Bundang Line or the Shinbundang Line, so both organizations were contacted, and as of the 8th, there were no reports related to bindae.

A Suin Bundang Line official told Asia Economy, "As of the 8th, there has not been a single report of bindae," adding, "If a subway car was in chaos because of bindae, we would have received a report."

He continued, "If bindae had appeared, the first step would have been to report it to Korail," warning, "It is not good behavior to unnecessarily stir up fear."

Regarding rumors spreading on SNS and online communities, he said, "Many rumors claiming 'I saw bindae on the subway' are being posted on platforms like X and DC Inside," and urged, "If you see bindae, please report it first. So far, we have not received a single report related to bindae, and the subway environment is not suitable for bindae to live."

A Shinbundang Line official also told Asia Economy, "There have been no reports related to bindae," adding that, like the Suin Bundang Line, no bindae-related reports have been received.

The Suin Bundang Line official said, "If bindae were to appear, the train would make an emergency stop at the station, and all passengers in the affected car would be asked to disembark," adding, "We work hard on daily disinfection, so it is unfortunate that rumors like 'bindae appeared on the subway' are spreading so quickly."

Korail Takes Full Measures Against Bindae

'Bedbug Control Task Force' disinfecting a KTX train.
Photo by Korail

Korail held an emergency meeting on the morning of the 8th at its Daejeon headquarters to discuss preventive measures against bindae. They announced plans to intensively inspect bindae blocking measures and pest control status across all trains, stations, and the entire railway sector.

As of the 9th, no bindae have been found on KTX or subway trains, nor have any suspicious reports been received. However, with growing concerns about bindae on the internet and social media, Korail decided to take full measures to prevent bindae from entering the railway system.

Earlier, Professor Yang Young-cheol of the Department of Health, Environment, and Safety at Eulji University told YTN in an interview, "The probability of bindae spreading through public transportation is very low."

Professor Yang explained, "It is difficult for bindae to hide, feed, and breed on public transportation. People do not stay continuously on public transport; they get on and off. Also, bindae are nocturnal and prefer to feed at dawn, but public transportation is very bright," he added.

Han Moon-hee, President of Korail, stated, "We will establish a flawless pest control system that can effectively block pest intrusion so that the public can ride trains safely and with peace of mind, concentrating the company's full capabilities."