'Gumi 3rd Generation Maternal Grandmother Impersonation' Seok Sentenced to 8 Years in First Trial... "Biological Mother Confirmed"

Regarding the death of a 3-year-old girl in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, the girl's biological mother, Seok Mo (48), is arriving at the Daegu District Court Gimcheon Branch on the 17th to attend the first trial sentencing hearing. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] In the widely publicized case of the death of a 3-year-old girl in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, involving the so-called 'baby swapping' suspicion, Seok Mo (48), the biological mother who pretended to be the maternal grandmother, was sentenced to 8 years in prison in the first trial.

On the 17th at 2 p.m., Judge Seo Cheongun of the Criminal Division 2 at Gimcheon Branch of Daegu District Court sentenced Seok, who was indicted on charges including kidnapping a minor and attempted concealment of a corpse, to 8 years in prison.

The court stated, "The defendant's actions constitute a serious crime infringing on the parental rights of protection and custody," adding, "After her biological daughter gave birth, she broke into the maternity hospital and carried out the baby swapping, and after the corpse was found, she actively attempted to conceal the corpse to hide her actions."

Earlier, Seok was brought to trial on charges of swapping the baby born to her biological daughter Kim Mo (22) with her own baby at a maternity hospital in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, between March and April 2018, and abducting Kim's baby. She was also indicted for attempting to bury the corpse by placing it in a box and moving it in a villa in Gumi where Kim lived, just one day before reporting the death of the 3-year-old girl to the police last February.

Initially, Seok was known as the maternal grandmother of the deceased girl, but during the police investigation, it was revealed that Kim and the deceased girl were not biologically related. Furthermore, genetic testing confirmed that the deceased girl was Seok's biological daughter, not Kim's.

At the sentencing hearing on the 13th, the prosecutor emphasized, "This is an extremely inhumane crime with a very bad nature," and added, "Since the whereabouts of the abducted child were not disclosed and the method of the crime shocked many people, severe punishment should be imposed." The prosecutor requested the court to sentence Seok to 13 years in prison, stating, "If the child had not been found dead in the vacant house, the defendant would have lived hiding the crime for life."

On the other hand, Seok admitted to the charge of attempted concealment of a corpse in court but denied the charges of giving birth and swapping the babies. She argued, "It is impossible to swap my own daughter with my eldest daughter's daughter."

However, the court recognized all of Seok's charges as guilty. The court ruled, "Seok is the biological mother of the deceased child, and the charge of baby swapping is sufficiently proven," and added, "The defendant's crime is of a very bad nature and has a high possibility of social condemnation."

Meanwhile, Kim, the older sister who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the first trial for leaving the 3-year-old girl alone in a vacant house causing her death, has appealed the verdict.

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