‘I shake out everything’: Anxious Koreans share their bedbug fears
Published: 16 Nov. 2023, 15:14
Updated: 16 Nov. 2023, 15:23
- TREVOR TREHARNE
- trevor.treharne@joongang.co.kr
What has particularly startled people is the toughness of the critters, which can “survive even when dumped in a bottle of insecticide.”
The Korea JoongAng Daily hit the streets of Seoul to see how worried Koreans were about the unwelcome arrival of the sheet-hogging bloodsuckers.
“I shake out everything before entering the house. Honestly, I get hesitant to sit down on random benches,” said one interviewee, while another concerned citizen said, “These days, I try not to put my clothes directly on the bed.”
The Seoul Metropolitan Government rolled out plans to combat bedbugs on public transportation, with fabric seats on subways regularly hot-steamed and disinfected.
Despite this, another person said, “When I'm on the subway, I try to stand up when there's a lot of people rather than sit down. I wash my bedsheets often, [perhaps] once a week?”
However, not everyone was so concerned, with one person commenting: “I heard there were problems among tourists visiting other countries. Living in Korea, I don't think I've ever given it a thought,” she said.
BY TREVOR TREHARNE, KIM DONG-EUN [trevor.treharne@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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