"Absolutely Never Gave Birth," Girl's Biological Mother Repeatedly Claims... Is 'Pregnancy Refusal Syndrome' Possible?

Mother of Deceased Infant Girl Repeatedly Denies Giving Birth
Possibility of 'Pregnancy Denial Syndrome' Raised
Unaware of Pregnancy Even Near Full Term
Fetus May Grow 'Hidden' on Its Own
Known in Korea Through 'Seorae Village Infant Murder Case'

Seok Mo (48), identified as the biological mother of the deceased 3-year-old girl in Gumi. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The biological mother of a 3-year-old girl found dead in a vacant house in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, Ms. Seok (48), continues to deny giving birth. Although DNA test results confirmed that Ms. Seok is the biological mother of the girl, she and her husband, Mr. Kim, still insist, "She absolutely did not give birth." Some speculate that Ms. Seok might have suffered from 'pregnancy denial syndrome,' a condition where a pregnant woman is unaware of her pregnancy.

Mr. Kim, the husband of the deceased girl's biological mother, appeared on SBS's 'Curious Story Y' broadcast on the 19th, claiming that Ms. Seok never gave birth, sparking controversy. On the show, Mr. Kim emphasized, "How frustrated must my wife have been to ask for help to clear this wrongful accusation? She absolutely did not give birth."

Mr. Kim also revealed a photo of Ms. Seok taken one and a half months before the child was born. He said, "At the time she supposedly gave birth, this photo from one and a half months earlier shows she was not full-term pregnant," and questioned, "If she had been pregnant, there’s no way I wouldn’t have known."

He also disclosed a letter sent to him by Ms. Seok while she was in custody. In the letter, Ms. Seok claimed, "Being forced to say things that never happened is maddening. Heaven knows, the earth knows, but I am truly innocent. I have never given birth to a child."

Previously, Ms. Seok had consistently denied giving birth. On the 11th, while being transported in a prison van for a pre-trial detention hearing, she repeatedly told reporters, "I have never given birth to a child."

On the 17th, while being transferred to the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office Kimcheon Branch, she appealed to reporters asking, "Do you think the DNA test results are wrong?" by saying, "When I say no, I hope you believe my sincerity."

Kim Mo, the husband of Ms. Seok, appeared on SBS's "Curious Story Y" on the 19th and denied his wife's childbirth. / Photo by SBS

However, the possibility that Ms. Seok’s claims are true is virtually nonexistent. The likelihood of an error in the DNA test results is extremely low.

Earlier, a representative from the National Forensic Service (NFS) emphasized to Yonhap News on the 16th, "While the accuracy of genetic tests can vary slightly case by case, in this instance, the probability of a biological relationship between Ms. Seok and the deceased girl was over 99.9999%."

Given this situation, some speculate that Ms. Seok might have suffered from pregnancy denial syndrome when she was pregnant with the deceased girl. When symptoms of pregnancy denial worsen, the mother may not feel pregnancy-related symptoms, and physical changes due to pregnancy may not appear.

Pregnancy denial syndrome involves denying the fact of being pregnant and believing one is not pregnant. Even after giving birth, some may believe they never had a child or fail to recognize that they gave birth.

In severe cases, the fetus may "hide" while growing. Instead of the uterus being positioned at the front of the abdomen, it may shift upward or attach to the spine. The uterus may grow not in a round swollen shape but elongated vertically.

Because of this, even at full term, body shape changes are minimal, and symptoms like morning sickness or fetal movements may be absent, making it difficult to realize the pregnancy.

The first country to study these symptoms was France. According to a 2005 survey by the French Pregnancy Denial Association targeting mothers in Europe, about 350 mothers annually in Europe suffer from complete pregnancy denial syndrome. Additionally, one in every 2,500 mothers was found to be completely unaware of their pregnancy until giving birth.

The infants found dead in a villa in Seorae Village, Seoul, in 2006 were confirmed to be the children of French national Veronique Courjault (right). / Photo by Yonhap News

In South Korea, pregnancy denial syndrome became publicly known through the so-called 'Serae Village Infant Murder Case' in 2006. At that time, V?ronique Courjault, a French woman residing in Korea, killed two infants and stored their bodies in a freezer for over two years. Courjault told the police, "I did not kill children I gave birth to, but something that was part of my body that came out of my womb."

Experts emphasize that finding the person who assisted Ms. Seok during childbirth is a key clue to solving the case.

Seung Jaehyun of the Korea Institute of Criminology stated in an interview with YTN Radio's 'Hwang Boseon's Start of a New Morning' on the 19th, "Ms. Seok is not at an age where she could have given birth alone without anyone's help," adding, "She must have gone to a hospital, and there must have been someone who helped with the delivery." He continued, "The most important thing is to find out who the biological father is and how the child was delivered."

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