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Behind the bug-loving Korean teenager drawing buzz online for his pet hornet training videos

Published: 24 Jun. 2025, 13:52 Updated: 24 Jun. 2025, 22:01

Kim the Hornet [JOONGANG ILBO]

Fifteen-year-old Lee Ji-seop doesn’t just observe insects — he raises them. Lee gained popularity for feeding his queen hornet jelly by hand and training it to fly on command. A video capturing the bond between Lee and his hornet has drawn over 8.35 million views online as of June 19.

The insect, named “Kim the Hornet,” became a sensation on Instagram after Lee posted a video in January, but the hornet died on June 9.

“I’ve never grown attached to a bug like that before,” Lee said. “We were together for seven months, so I had a special affection for him.”

Lee built trust with Kim the Hornet by feeding him insect jelly and letting him eat off his hand. Kim was the first hornet Lee ever successfully handled with his bare hands.

He buried the insect in a hole in a pine tree near the spot where they first met.

Lee now raises about 160 insects, including 30 to 40 adult beetles such as Japanese rhinoceros beetles, Dorcus hopei binodulosus and Prosopocoilus inclinatus, along with their larvae.

He also keeps a pet frog he named “Kim Paek-kkong."

“My great-aunt lives in the countryside, so I grew up around mountains and fields, naturally encountering a lot of bugs,” Lee said. “Since I was 7 years old, I’ve been making illustrated guides about how to breed insects.”

His interest deepened after he entered middle school, when a hornet flew into his classroom and became his pet.

“It’s a secret, but I don’t like silverfish or lovebugs,” Lee said about if there are any insects he dislikes. “Cockroaches are fine. Some even produce high-protein, nutritious milk.”

Since March, Lee has been raising another queen hornet — an Asian giant hornet — which he named Elizabeth III.

Hornet Elizabeth III [JOONGANG ILBO]

“I was scared at first,” Lee said, “But now I’m practicing how to handle her bare-handed.”

Lee says he keeps taking on new challenges because he finds them "fun."

He enjoys developing new methods for raising species that are rarely bred, such as hornets and small stag beetles. He is especially interested in raising insects from eggs to adulthood.

“Hornets are rare social insects in nature,” he said. “I’m proud that I showed people it’s possible to raise them.”

Lee’s dream is to discover a new insect species and name it after himself.

“I want to publish a paper and call it ‘Lee Ji-seop’s Bug.’ That would be incredibly satisfying,” he said. “I want to become an insect researcher or a professional breeder someday.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY OH SO-YEONG [[email protected]]