[Summary] Heartless Couple Searching for 'How to Remove Bruises' After 2-Week-Old Son's Death, Tears on SNS: "Becoming a Mom..."

Couple Showed Family Affection on SNS
Prosecuted for Murder of 2-Week-Old Son
Police Statement: "Hit Him When He Cried and Spit Up Milk"

Husband A (24) and wife B (22), who were arrested and sent to prosecution on charges of assaulting and killing their two-week-old son, are walking out of the Jeonbuk Jeonju Deokjin Police Station detention center on the afternoon of the 18th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A couple in their 20s who fatally assaulted their two-week-old biological son have been found to have previously flaunted their love for their son on social media, sparking public outrage.

In particular, the couple searched online for terms like "how to quickly get rid of bruises" to conceal the abuse, and even pretended to perform CPR on their child who had no pulse or breathing to deceive paramedics, causing social indignation.

The couple, A (24, male) and B (22, female), who were arrested on the 12th, were confirmed to have operated an Instagram account where they posted family photos.

B, the wife, expressed her struggles in a post on her account, saying, "My weight is returning to pre-pregnancy levels, but recovery is slow. I didn’t realize how painful a cesarean section would be," and also uploaded a photo of her husband A and their son lying face-to-face.

On the 28th of last month, B wrote, "Why does it hurt so much today? I’m crying, honey. Becoming a mother," and expressed affection toward A by adding, "Sorry. You’ve been working hard taking care of me lately."

A's photo of her husband B and their deceased second son posted on her Instagram. / Photo by Instagram Capture

However, contrary to their affectionate displays on social media, the couple has been indicted for causing their son's death.

The Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency announced on the 18th that they had sent A and his wife to the prosecution with charges including murder, child abuse assault, and child abuse causing serious injury. The couple is accused of throwing their biological son onto a bed and repeatedly slapping him at their home in Iksan, Jeonbuk, from early this month until the 7th, resulting in his death. The son was born on the 27th of last month and had just passed two weeks of age.

At the time, when the son was unconscious, the couple reported to 119 that "the child fell from the bed while sleeping." When paramedics arrived, the couple pretended to perform CPR on the child who had already stopped breathing, showing a calculated attempt to deceive.

Following the investigation, police confirmed bruises on the deceased infant’s face and arrested the couple at the scene. Police investigations revealed that the child had been subjected to continuous abuse for about ten days.

A initially denied all charges during the early stages of the investigation but later admitted, "I hit him because he cried often and vomited formula," while partially denying the charges by stating, "It was not to the extent that would cause death."

Mr. A was on trial after being indicted last February for assaulting his first daughter, who was two months old. / Photo by MBN

Notably, this incident occurred while A was already on trial for assaulting his first daughter, who was two months old last year, adding to the shock.

According to the police, at that time, despite the infant bleeding from the nose due to the assault, A failed to take necessary measures such as taking her to the hospital. After the incident, the first daughter was separated from her parents and placed in a child protection facility. In this context, the couple committed another child abuse case after having their second child.

As the situation unfolded, public criticism of the couple intensified. One netizen wrote, "How can someone kill a two-week-old baby just because he vomits formula?" and urged, "They should be severely punished for murder."

Another netizen expressed sorrow, saying, "How much attention does a one- or two-week-old baby need, yet they had time for social media but no time to care for their crying child? It breaks my heart," and angrily added, "Does erasing bruises erase your guilt too?"

Meanwhile, the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency has assigned all nine members of its Women and Youth Investigation Division to this case and plans to conduct further investigations into the severity, duration, and methods of the abuse.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.