It has been found that incidents of bee stings and snake bites have significantly increased during the summer and early fall when outdoor activities are on the rise.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency urged caution on the 31st, announcing the results of an analysis of injury data collected from emergency rooms at 23 hospitals nationwide over the past five years (2020–2024).
According to the survey, about 70.5% of the total 3,664 bee sting incidents occurred between July and September, while 57.0% of the 726 snake bite incidents also occurred during the same period. In particular, among those who visited the emergency room due to bee stings, 88 were hospitalized, and 13 died.
Incidents of bee stings mainly occurred during daily life (37.2%) and leisure activities (24.3%), and they also consistently happened while at work (20.0%).
By age group, individuals under 30 had a higher rate of bee stings during leisure and daily activities, while overall, men (64.4%) were more affected than women. By age, incidents were most common among those in their 60s (25.8%) and 50s (22.1%), with the hours of incidents primarily concentrated from noon to 6 p.m. on weekends.
The locations of incidents varied, with outdoors or near rivers and seas (37.5%), roads (18.8%), inside dwellings (16.1%), and on farms or industrial sites (9.6%). The body parts most affected were the hands (25.5%), followed by the arms (17.6%), face (13.5%), and legs (12.2%).
Meanwhile, snake bite incidents also concentrated among those over 50. A total of 72.5% of patients were over 50 years old, particularly those in their 60s (28.9%) and 70s and older (24.0%). The occurrence rate on weekends was also high at 40.8%.
Most incidents occurred during agricultural work, such as weeding or harvesting crops (27.3%), and also during daily life (24.2%) or while performing volunteer tasks like organizing warehouses or collecting recyclables (22.9%). The most affected body part was the hands (60.6%), followed by the feet (20.9%) and legs (9.3%).
Out of 726 snake bite patients, 433 were hospitalized, and 5 of them died. The disease control agency stated, "The hospitalization rate for snake bites is 59.6%, requiring caution."
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Director Lim Seung-kwan emphasized, "The frequency of bee stings and snake bites is high in August and September, so precautions should be taken. When performing weeding or field work, it is essential to wear long-sleeved clothing and rubber boots to thoroughly follow preventive measures."