Busan bedbug infestation sparks health fears at Korean bathhouse
Bedbugs collected by YouTuber Daheuk at a sauna in Busan / Captured from Daheuk's YouTube channel
YouTuber uncovers a bedbug outbreak at a Busan sauna, sparking health warnings for tourists and locals
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Daheuk, a YouTuber with 1.07 million subscribers who specializes in teaching about animals and insects, a Korean bathhouse and sauna complex in Busan to find signs of a massive bedbug problem.
In the video, Daheuk said he received a tip-off that a sauna was infested with bedbugs, leaving visitors covered in bite marks and carrying the pests into their homes.
Inspecting the facility, Daheuk expressed shock at the volume of bedbug droppings visible across sleeping areas.
"I have been to many bedbug habitats, but this is the first time in my life I have seen a place with so many bedbug droppings," he said in the video. "Wherever you look, it is full of bedbug droppings."
Collecting bedbugs from mattresses and mats, Daheuk explained that most of the specimens he found were engorged after feeding on human blood. Inspecting crevices in the wall, he uncovered another cluster of the parasitic insects.
"From eggs to nymphs and adults, they are gathered together in a large family," he said. "They appear to feed on humans before retreating into the gaps."
When Daheuk alerted a facility representative to the bedbugs, the employee defended the business. She said they had already disinfected the facility. When Daheuk suggested the facility close for several days for extermination because the infestation appeared widespread, the representative replied, "We disinfected for bedbugs once last week," and promised to check the premises again.
Daheuk voiced particular concern that bedbugs could cling to people's bodies or clothing and be carried into their homes, warning that spreading the infestation to visitors' residences could spark secondary infestations. He said he isolated the clothing he wore during the inspection to avoid bringing the pests home.
At the end of the video, Daheuk said he filed a complaint about the business with local authorities, adding that he would decide whether to publicly name the facility depending on the official response. He emphasized that a single pesticide treatment cannot resolve an infestation, urging the use of a professional pest control service.
Bedbugs discovered by YouTuber Daheuk at a sauna in Busan. Subtitles were created through Gemini. Captured from Daheuk's YouTube channel
Avoid scratching to prevent secondary infections
Bedbugs live on the blood of humans and other mammals, nesting in bedding or small crevices during the day and emerging at night to feed. Their bites frequently appear in clusters of two or three, in straight lines or circular patterns. The welts resemble mosquito bites and cause localized pain and severe itching.
If bitten, people should not scratch the area to prevent secondary bacterial infections. If itching becomes severe, patients should take prescribed oral antihistamines or apply topical corticosteroid ointments. If inflammation develops, they should seek prescription antibiotics.
Signs of infestation and what to do next
Anyone discovering bedbugs in their accommodations while traveling should immediately request a room change or change hotels entirely. Travelers are advised to check in advance if their accommodations use a professional pest control service.
Bedbugs primarily inhabit dark areas such as mattress seams and bed frame crevices. Because bedbugs avoid light, guests can easily spot them by turning off the lights and shining a flashlight on the corners of a mattress or bed. Dark specks on mattresses or bedding indicate traces of bedbug droppings, bloodstains or eggs.
For those who suspect they may have been exposed to bedbugs while traveling, sealing worn clothing in plastic bags for more than a week allows monitoring for surviving insects and prevents the pests from spreading. Additionally, fabric and clothing that may have been exposed can be washed in very hot water and put in a clothes dryer on a high-heat setting for about 30 minutes to kill bedbugs and nymphs.
This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.