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To Fry and Eat"... Chinese Nationals Spark Controversy by Catching Cicada Larvae

Author
Instructor
Date
2025-07-18 08:32
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77

Foreign nationals are being repeatedly spotted collecting large quantities of cicada larvae for consumption at Samnak Eco-Park in Sasang-gu, Busan, sparking controversy.

According to the Busan Ilbo on the 15th, an environmental group official and a reporter observed a man searching the bushes and catching cicada larvae at Samnak Eco-Park on the afternoon of the 9th.

The man was holding a plastic bottle containing about 15 cicada larvae. When questioned by reporters, he replied, "I'm Chinese and I don't speak Korean," adding, "I'm catching cicada larvae to eat them."

Cicada larvae are indeed known as edible insects in some parts of China and Southeast Asia, where they are fried in oil and eaten as snacks or with alcoholic beverages.

An environmental group stated, "Recently, around 7 PM, 5 to 6 foreign individuals have been appearing at Samnak Eco-Park and collecting cicada larvae in plastic bottles or vinyl bags." They added, "Larvae emerge from the ground and climb trees in the evening, which is when large-scale collection occurs."

The group criticized this behavior, saying, "Indiscriminate collection of wild creatures in urban ecological parks is an act that damages public assets." Yoo Jin-cheol, co-representative of the Busan Environmental Council, pointed out, "It's a problem to arbitrarily catch cicadas, which play a part in the ecosystem."

The Nakdong River Management Headquarters of Busan City, which received related complaints, stated, "Since cicadas are not natural monuments or legally protected species, there is no legal basis to regulate the activity." However, they added, "If there's an issue considering the purpose of creating and managing an eco-park, where the ecological environment should be naturally preserved, we can put up banners to deter them."

"튀겨 먹으려고"…'매미 유충' 잡는 중국인 논란

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