Lovebugs, the seasonal insects that have swarmed Seoul and its surrounding cities, are likely to disappear naturally within the next few days, authorities said Sunday.
According to the Korea Forest Service, its predictive modeling indicates that approximately 86 percent of this year's lovebug activity had already occurred. Most of the remaining adult insects are expected to vanish by Tuesday, and their full disappearance is projected around the weekend.
Lovebugs, officially known as Plecia nearctica and commonly seen in East Asian countries such as Japan, China and Taiwan, are not a direct threat to humans or crops. However, their sudden mass emergence this year has significantly disrupted daily life, with swarms appearing along hiking trails and in some residential neighborhoods.
On social media, videos of the insects swarming Gyeyangsan, a mountain in Incheon, have recently gone viral, shocking viewers with scenes of dead lovebugs covering entire trails and prompting calls for authorities to respond more proactively to the phenomenon.
khnews@heraldcorp.com
