When news broke about a bedbug outbreak in his native South Korea, 29-year-old blockchain engineer and self-professed insectophobe Kang Jae-gu got straight to work -- on the data. As authorities scrambled to install high-temperature steam heaters at the airport and approve industrial-strength insecticides for home use, Kang started mapping reported infestations. In November, dozens of pest control company owners and leaders from public offices attended a two-day course on bed-bug control provided by Korea Pest Control Association (KPCA) in Seoul, South Korea. Lecturers provided classes on how to detect, disinfect, and monitor bed-bug cases, and shared their first hand experience in tackling them. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES