Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Seoul bans popular pesticide to protect honeybees
This April 2 photo shows a honeybee hovering over flowers at an arboretum in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. The city government in Seoul said on Monday it banned the use of neonicotinoids, a widely-used type of insecticide, as part of the efforts to preserve honeybees amid alarming signs of their population decline. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Monday a ban on the use of neonicotinoids, a widely-used insecticide, as part of efforts to preserve honeybees amid alarming signs of their population decline.
The move comes as the pesticide is suspected as one of the causes of their mass deaths and disappearances across Korea, a phenomenon that has stoked worries since 2022.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, at least 7.8 billion honeybees, more than 15 percent of the total population, prematurely died or disappeared for reasons still unclear between September and November 2022. Reports of such incidents have poured in since from different locations around the nation.
Neonicotinoids are the most widely used class of insecticides in the United States and many other countries. They are thought to be of low toxicity to mammals and are considered effective for controlling insects in agriculture. However more and more studies suggest they could be highly toxic to bees.
For the city’s pest control, officials said they will now use less toxic pesticides and regularly monitor the implementation of the new rule.
It remains to be seen whether the policy change will make any difference, however. Global warming among other factors is also blamed as the possible causes of mass honeybee deaths.
The city government made the announcement on World Bee Day, designated by the United Nations to raise awareness on “the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development.”