It was some 18 years ago when Lee Kang-woon, then an employee of a top Seoul-based media firm, renounced his promising career to follow his heart and take an uncharted path: to become an entomologist, a rare profession in highly urbanized Korea.
Mesmerized by the tantalizing movements of colorful insects, Lee developed an insatiable desire to live with them in a serene forest and dedicate his life to researching and preserving the endangered species.
“I couldn’t resist my desire for insects. I just love them. I cannot specifically describe the reason,” the 57-year-old scholar, who heads the Holoce Ecosystem Conservation Research Institution in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, told The Korea Herald. “When you see their colors, it’s indescribably beautiful.”
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| Lee Kang-woon, director of the Holoce Ecosystem Conservation Research Institution in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, poses during an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald) |
His affection for insects has transformed him into one of the country’s leading scholars in the fields of entomology and biodiversity. Beyond his individual research, he has also strived to raise awareness about rare insect species and nurture future entomologists.
In 1997, Lee bought 73,000-square-meter swaths of forest in the province and established the insect research institution. He has exhibited about 4,300 species of insects. At a series of laboratories in the institute, some 900 types of insects are being raised.
The director named his institution after “Holocene,” referring to the fourth period of Cenozoic era ― from 15,000 years ago up to now ― to highlight the urgency of preserving biodiversity.
Lee is conducting a number of projects with six researchers at his institute, with the aim of developing endangered species and analyzing the characteristics of each insect.
One project includes a study on matching larva with their host plants. Information about which host plant feeds which larva has been unknown.
“Insects spawn only on certain plants they choose. Once hatched, the insect lives without parents’ help. Parents then live on the pod and essence of the plant,” he said. “Naturally, insects of parents and children never compete for food.”
For more than a decade, he has discovered the relationships of about 600 types of larva and their respective host plants.
“The study suggests that natural enemies of plants are insects. Plants spout out various chemical substances to battle against insects, and those substances make the bitterness that we taste from the plants,” he added. “Without insects, we cannot enjoy the good taste of plants and vegetables.”
Along with the project on larva and host plants, the entomologist has carried out a long-term study on global warming effects on the ecosystem through insects.
As the emergence of insects from pupa to butterflies change according to different temperatures, Lee recorded this data for five types of butterflies for eight years to look into whether their life cycle is affected by climate change.
“Once you understand the ecology of insects, the global warming impacts are recognizable. Just as flowers tend to blossom earlier, the hibernation period of insects is getting shorter,” he said.
Of all the ongoing projects, his top priority has been preserving endangered species such as the Apollo Butterfly, dung beetles and giant water bugs.
Starting with only two Apollo Butterflies, Lee has so far reproduced 500 of the butterflies over the past several years. While raising them, he discovered an interesting characteristic three years ago.
“It was a cold day when the temperature dropped to around minus 27 degrees Celsius. Surprisingly, one hatched out from the egg in the cold weather. I found out that there is an intracellular freezing substance in the Apollo Butterfly,” he said. “I’m sure this substance can be beneficially used in our life someday.”
In a different laboratory, he breeds giant water bugs in a large water tank. Most of the bugs have vanished due to the use of pesticides, Lee said. He spends around 40 million won ($37,000) a year on just feeding them as they only eat large fish.
Outside of the institute’s building, the director also raises two cows because their excrement is essential to breeding the nearly extinct dung beetles.
“What feeds dung beetles is not the cow’s excrement but the grass in it. Because most cows are forced to eat fodder and not grass these days, dung beetles have not been able to survive,” Lee said.
All of these preservation efforts have been possible as HECRI has been designated a “non-habitat preservation institution” by the government, Lee said. Only those with designation can legally undertake the work of increasing the number of endangered insects or animals. As of this year, about 20 organizations are allowed to artificially raise and reproduce endangered species to prevent extinction, the Environment Ministry said.
Lee has also been working for 16 years on publishing an illustrated book about some 500 types of larvae, one of the most in-depth in the world, he said.
Larval research has not been globally active as it takes a long time and larvae drastically transform during growth, making it difficult to follow the full life cycle ― other studies have focused on only full-grown insects, not larvae. Thousands of types of larvae are still unidentified in Korea, Lee added.
“Knowing the characteristics and identities of larvae is important because their substances they have can serve as useful resources,” he said.
“Moths have always been killed by pesticides in the agricultural industry. If we know the characteristics of each type of larva, it will help farmers effectively target them with a small amount of pesticide.”
The illustrated book is expected to be completed by next year.
Lee’s organization is also open to those who want to experience nature and get a glimpse into the insect world.
Lee has run on-site biodiversity classes for students since 1997, usually during school vacations. Upon reservation, private classes are also available year-round.
The HECRI director was awarded the Camellia Medal of the Order of Civil Merit last year in recognition of his efforts into preserving endangered insects and raising awareness about them. It marked the first time an insect expert received the award. He previously won three other awards including the best environment award from Gangwon Province in 2004.
What drives him is not just a love for insects, but also a sense of responsibility as tight budgets and an insufficient labor force sometimes pose challenges.
“For me, running HECRI has been a sense of duty for the public. I need to raise both insect experts and endangered species for the country. My only hope is to save as many endangered species on the peninsula as I can,” Lee said.
By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)
