Three days ago, I immediately turned on TV when I reached at home. Then I was watching TV alone. Suddenly, it sounded "zizizic" and I couldn't see anything. I thought it got out of order. What the hell is going on? I decided to investigate a cause for the breakdown. When I saw the behind TV, I found something. As I saw the things-I...I was totally shocked. It's a Red fire ant! Over 10 red ants were gnawing the electronic wire. They look like enjoying the electric shock. How could they come to Korea?
  Don't worry, it just a supposition. However they came to nearby us. On March of 2005, the South China Morning Post reported that the red fire ants were found at British international school which located at central Hongkong. The Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation in Hongkong announced that 1,870 red fire ants' nests were found in 77 local zones. Fortunately, the ants have been not attacking the people.

Where They From?
  Since the American cargo ship started landing on Florida in 1930, the red ants which had lived on the surface of wood stocks in the cargo spreaded all over the west coast area. Moreover, these ants spread all over the world. They find out the Australia as their first victimize. In 2001, because of these ants, the Commonwealth of Australia was in a state of emergency. After 3 years later, they were discovered in Taiwan, China, and Hongkong. Like this, they were getting closer to our home. If so, how could they move?
 The Guangdong Province's quarantine authorities announced that they stuck on recycling useless articles which imported from Taiwan.
 Experts have supposed the possibility, based on their course that they may spread to Korea.

What Kind of Damage Do They Cause to People?
  The fire red ants are injurious to the crops and spoil farming.
 Moreover, the ants also attack animals. In case of Texas and California of U.S., the livestock became blind of their eyes at the result of ants' attacking.
 They even bite off human. If someone get bitten by the ants, the victim develop swollen all of the body and fall into a coma. Some people lost their lives.
 The case of the Chan-chang municipality(湛江) in China, the fire red ants attacked all over the local's inhabitant from last year, some injured farmers and children haven't leaved their bed yet.
 The fire red ants also caused an ecosystem disturbance. In 1930, Texas and California's ants disappeared about 70% because fire red ants eat the ants. The similar case reported at Australia in 2001. The fire red ants attacked a lot of inserts of Australian own.

Will THE FIRE RED ANTS Come to Korea?
Kim Byung-jin, a professor in the Division of Biological Science said, "Hongkong has a similar biological resource of Korea. If we didn't extirpate the ants at the outset, it will be arising another disaster like a earthquake and a tidal wave. In order to prevent, we have to block up the Red imported fire ants by quarantining thoroughly exported agricultural products, industrial products and so on in Korean quarantine station.
 In U.S. the customs thoroughly quarantined a lot of baggage than Korea by supporting to the many experts and using astronomical money. However, the fire red ants spread all over the nation in 1930s. So, Korea do their best for the protecting."

Yu Hee-kyung  fedeer@dongguk.edu

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