[Summary] Still "Did Not Give Birth" "No Acquaintance"… 13-Year Prison Sentence Proposed for Biological Mother in Gumi Girl Case

'Gumi 3-Year-Old Girl Death Case' Sentencing Trial Sees Prison Sentence Requested
Accused of Swapping Her Own Biological Daughter with Another Baby
DNA Test Confirms Mother-Daughter Relationship
Repeatedly Denied Giving Birth Since Investigation in March

Seok Mo-ssi heading to the courtroom on April 22, when the first trial was held / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Seok Mo (48), who was revealed to be the biological mother in the so-called 'Gumi 3-year-old girl death case,' has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. Seok, who was previously indicted on charges including swapping her own biological daughter, still denies her crimes.

At Seok's sentencing hearing held on the 13th at the Daegu District Court Gimcheon Branch, Criminal Division 2 (Judge Seo Cheong-woon), the prosecution stated, "The defendant's crime is extremely inhumane and the nature of the crime is severe," and requested, "Please sentence her to 13 years in prison."

The prosecution explained the reason for the sentence, saying, "Seok has not provided any statements regarding the whereabouts of the missing child involved in the swap. This has shocked many people," and added, "Despite the inhumane nature of the crime, there is no sign of remorse, and she still denies the crime."

However, on this day, Seok's defense team did not relent, insisting that "she did not give birth." The defense repeatedly emphasized, "It is impossible to swap her own daughter with her eldest daughter's daughter," and "The defendant has never given birth, and no one knows about any part of the child being swapped."

Earlier, on February 10th around 3 p.m., a 3-year-old girl was found dead in a villa in Gumi, Gyeongbuk. At the time, the girl was in a state of decomposition, with severe decay of organs and body, making it difficult to determine the exact cause of death.

Seok was the first person to discover and report the child. The police who responded to the report initially identified Seok's eldest daughter, A, as the biological mother of the deceased girl and booked and detained her on charges including child abuse resulting in death.

However, DNA test results showed that it was Seok, not A, who was the biological mother of the girl, leading the case into an unexpected phase.

Mr. Seok, who is accused of swapping his daughter and granddaughter / Photo by Yonhap News

Seok has repeatedly denied her crime, insisting that "she never gave birth to a child."

In March, while under detention, she clearly answered "Yes" to a reporter's question, "Do you think the DNA test results are wrong?"

Seok's husband, B, also appeared on a broadcast to appeal for clearing his wife's name. In an interview on SBS's 'Curious Story Y,' B said, "How frustrated must my wife have been to say she was innocent?" and emphasized, "My wife never gave birth."

B also released a photo of Seok taken one and a half months before the girl was born. Regarding the photo, he said, "This was taken one and a half months before the supposed birth date, and she was not visibly pregnant," and questioned, "If she had been pregnant, I would have known."

However, the possibility of an error in the DNA test results indicating the mother-daughter relationship between Seok and the deceased girl appears to be very low. According to the National Forensic Service, although the accuracy of genetic tests can vary slightly case by case, in Seok's case, the probability of maternity was over 99.9999%.

Additionally, during a police polygraph test, Seok reportedly showed deceptive responses to the question, "Have you ever given birth to a baby?"

Meanwhile, the prosecution believes that Seok swapped her own biological daughter with the child born to A at a maternity clinic in Gumi between late March and early April 2018.

The sentencing trial for Seok is scheduled for 2 p.m. on August 17th at the Daegu District Court Gimcheon Branch.

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