Fires, rescues — and hornet's nests? Korean firefighters face growing burden
A Seoul firefighter surnamed Lee, 33, has good reason to dread hornets. Earlier this month, while removing a hornet's nest in a residential neighborhood, he was stung on the ring finger of his right hand. At first, it felt like a leaf lightly brushing against his skin. But the pain soon became so severe that he could barely tolerate it unless he kept his finger submerged in ice water. "As…
Seoul firefighters fear hornets as their workload soars, according to the latest fire statistics. Earlier this month, a 33-year-old firefighter named Lee was stung multiple times while removing a hornet's nest in a residential district. The initial sensation was mild, akin to a light touch, but the pain quickly escalated to unbearable levels. Lee had to submerge his finger in ice water to find relief.
The increasing number of hornet nest removal calls is straining the resources of emergency crews. Lee attributes this to the hornets' heightened aggression. Firefighters have long dealt with removing hornet's nests in Korea, but the surge in urban hornet populations is placing an ever-growing burden on their shoulders. In June, the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters reported that firefighters responded to 2,913 hornet nest removal calls in the city, a staggering 71% increase from the same period last year.
This trend is not limited to Seoul. The 2026 Fire Statistical Yearbook reveals that nationwide, the annual number of hornet's nest removal operations has risen from 1 in previous years. As the hornet population expands, Korean firefighters face an escalating challenge in extinguishing fires and rescuing civilians, all while battling these aggressive insects.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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