Thousands of yellow crazy ants found in box in Incheon

The government is clamping down on a potential foreign ant invasion, taking quarantine measures after discovering thousands of ants in cargo boxes shipped from Vietnam.

The Ministry of Environment said Thursday that authorities found three cargo boxes containing over 4,000 yellow crazy ants and their larvae on Nov. 2 at a business in Incheon.

The containers were shipped from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and entered the country through Incheon Port.

According to an investigation by the National Institute of Ecology, the business reported the ants after receiving the cargo boxes.

The ants are currently sealed in the cargo boxes and will undergo fumigation measures, explained an Agriculture Ministry official.

Although the ant species do not pose a direct threat to humans, they are known to disrupt local ecosystems, being able to inhabit both urban and rural environments.

Korea was on alert last year when red fire ants were discovered at Incheon Port, prompting quarantine measures.

By Chae Yun-hwan