Around 10 a.m. on the 24th, a pair of Lovebugs stick to the wall of a building rooftop in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. /Courtesy of Kim Gwan-rae

The Bongsan cypress forest in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, is one of the places where 'love bugs' (red-tipped seed flies) occur in large numbers. On the morning of the 24th, a reporter from ChosunBiz visited Bongsan and had about six love bugs stick to them right away. Although I tried to brush them off with my hand, dozens of love bugs flying around the area came rushing back.

Love bugs have been occurring in groups during the rainy season in Seoul since 2022. As a female and male pair stick together and fly around in masses, complaints have been raised. Local governments have been watering them down, stating they are beneficial insects. In response, citizens and small business owners have demanded, 'Please exterminate them with pesticides since they are basically pests.'

Around 10 a.m. on the 24th, at a store near Bongsan located in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, Lovebug carcasses pile up on the floor by the entrance. /Courtesy of Lee Ho-jun

◇Complaints about love bugs more than doubled in a year… widespread across Seoul

According to the Seoul city government on the 26th, requests for love bug pest control, which were 4,418 cases in 2023, doubled to 9,296 cases from the previous year. The areas of large occurrences have also spread from Eunpyeong-gu in 2022 to Yangcheon-gu, Guro-gu, and Dobong-gu across Seoul.

Love bugs cling to the windows of restaurants and cafes and sometimes make their way inside. As a result, small business owners are complaining about the damage. Mr. Kim (51), who runs a noodle restaurant near Baengnyeonsan in Eunpyeong-gu, said, 'There are more love bugs than last year, so I can't keep the store entrance open these days.' Mr. Park (61), who runs a pub nearby, also said, 'I cleaned up the love bug carcasses piled up this morning (24th).'

Photos of Lovebugs uploaded to an online community. /Courtesy of SNS Capture

◇'Eco-friendly pest control' prioritized for massive insect outbreaks… small business owners ask, 'Is watering effective?'

Local governments initiate pest control measures when complaints are received. However, unlike mosquitoes or cockroaches, they are implementing 'eco-friendly pest control' by using watering methods rather than chemical pesticides. This follows the enactment of the 'Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Management and Support of Large-Scale Insect Outbreaks' proposed by People Power Party member Yoon Young-hee in March. This ordinance stipulates that 'the mayor of Seoul should prioritize eco-friendly measures when controlling large-scale insect outbreaks.'

Local governments are using buckets or hoses to wash away love bugs that cling extensively to outer walls, window frames, and vehicle glass for eco-friendly pest control. Although love bugs may fall off, they don't usually die, which means they could be sticking to the windows of other stores the next day.

Small business owners who face swarms of love bugs daily expressed their frustrations. Mr. Kang (28), who runs a Korean restaurant near Inwangsan, said, 'When I leave the store door open, love bugs come in and it has bothered my customers more than once. It's disruptive to business, and will just watering be sufficient?'

Yangcheon-gu is conducting eco-friendly pest control operations using a spraying method as Lovebugs occur in large numbers last summer. /Courtesy of Yangcheon-gu

◇'Love bugs are beneficial insects, not pests'… efforts to strengthen publicity also met with public disgust

In response to the backlash, district offices intensified their promotional efforts. The educational material produced by Gwanak-gu states that love bugs are beneficial insects that do not transmit pathogens or bite people while making the soil fertile.

However, according to a survey conducted by the Seoul Research Institute in June of the previous year, 86% of respondents said, 'Love bugs are pests as they cause damage to citizens by occurring in large numbers.' In a survey about 'bugs that induce fear and disgust,' they ranked third (42.6%) after cockroaches (66%, multiple selections allowed) and bed bugs (60.1%).

Some parts of a document from the Seoul Institute of Technology 'The Spread Status of Urban Pest and Response Measures for a Healthy City Seoul.' /Courtesy of Lovebug

A resident surnamed Ahn (26), who lives near the area where love bugs are proliferating, said, 'How can they be beneficial insects when they rush at people in swarms?' and added, 'I think it would be okay to use pesticides to get rid of them.' A representative from Eunpyeong-gu also mentioned, 'Residents file complaints saying it's disgusting,' and noted, 'We're in a situation where we can’t do this or that between the guidelines and the complaints.'

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