Gyeonggi-do Activates Bedbug Countermeasures Headquarters... Inspects Vulnerable Facilities Including Lodging Businesses Until Next Month 8

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province has decided to form a 'Bedbug Countermeasures Headquarters' to fully respond with focused control measures after confirming five cases of bedbug occurrences within the province.

On the 14th, Gyeonggi Province held a video conference on 'Preventing the Spread of Bedbugs, Supporting the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), and Safety Management, and Lumpy Skin Disease' at the provincial government office, chaired by Oh Byeong-kwon, the First Deputy Governor, with deputy heads of cities and counties participating to discuss these matters.

According to Gyeonggi Province, out of 53 suspected bedbug appearance reports received by city and county public health centers, five cases were finally confirmed as bedbug occurrences. Among these, four locations completed disinfection by private pest control companies, and one location requested self-disinfection, for which disinfection methods were provided. Gyeonggi Province plans to continue special management of these five locations through public health centers to ensure bedbugs are eradicated.

Following the confirmation of bedbugs, Gyeonggi Province decided to operate the 'Bedbug Countermeasures Headquarters,' composed of 13 departments including the Safety Management Office and the Health and Wellness Bureau, with the First Deputy Governor as the head, until the situation is resolved.

The Safety Management Office will take overall charge, while the Health and Wellness Bureau will handle report reception and support for control measures. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau will focus on tourism lodging facilities, and the Women and Family Bureau will concentrate on childcare centers. Each department has begun intensive management according to their respective facility responsibilities.

Gyeonggi Province has designated the four weeks until December 8 as the intensive bedbug inspection and control period, during which it will inspect vulnerable facilities such as lodging businesses, bathhouses, goshiwon (small, inexpensive rooms for rent), and jjokbangchon (small room villages) together with cities and counties.

To alleviate residents' anxiety about bedbugs and enable prompt response upon discovery, Gyeonggi Province is providing bedbug information booklets, card news, and promotional videos on the provincial website and community newsletters. The province has also distributed bedbug information booklets containing response guidelines to the departments in charge of each facility.

Although bedbugs are not vectors of infectious diseases, they are pests that cause severe itching due to bloodsucking, as well as allergies and psychological fatigue. They were frequently found in the 1960s but were virtually eradicated due to the distribution of insecticides; however, they have recently been repeatedly discovered in South Korea.