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Last week, termites were spotted in Gangnam, Seoul, eating wood. They appear to have lived in the house for more than five years, but investigators believe it is unlikely that the termites spread outside because they are a species that lives mainly indoors.

This is a report by environmental reporter Jang Se-man.

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Epidemiological investigation revealed that there were 5 termites identified in the villa, including the queen.

In addition to the 253 animals reported by the reporter, the team caught an additional 94 animals.

Based on the time it takes for termites to form colonies, it is estimated that they have been living in the house for at least five years, according to investigators.

[Jeong Hwan-jin, Head of Biodiversity Division, Ministry of Environment: The building was built about 159 years ago, and it is believed that these foreign termites were introduced through building materials and furniture at that time.]

Termites have created a habitat by digging a hole in the door frame between the room and the veranda in the villa.

As a result of genetic analysis, it was finally confirmed what kind it was, which is fortunate for termites.

It is a species of Domesticus belonging to the genus Calotermitidae and Cryptomyceae, and it is a species that lives mainly in dry rooms.

Because of this, it is highly unlikely that they would have moved out of the villa and settled in the open air.

[Park Hyun-cheol, Professor, Department of Bioand Environmental Chemistry, Pusan National University: Domesticus is easy to say, it means a pet, but it just spreads a lot and doesn't cause too much damage.]

Jong-eun Lee mainly distributed in Malaysia, Australia, and China, experts say the damage will be limited compared to the existing underground termite species that inhabit the country.

(Video editing: Jung Yong-hwa)