'Quintuplets' Born in Korea for the First Time in 34 Years... Parents Are a 1991-Born Army Officer Couple

Quintuplets Born for the First Time in 34 Years Since 1987... Four Girls and One Boy

According to Seoul National University Hospital on the 19th, Captain Kim Jin-su of the 17th Army Division Reconnaissance Battalion and Captain Seo Hye-jung of the Intelligence Battalion, a military couple born in 1991, gave birth to quintuplets around 10 p.m. the previous day. The photo shows the quintuplets. Photo by Seoul National University Hospital·Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Quintuplets have been born in South Korea for the first time in 34 years. The birth of quintuplets is a rare case worldwide, with the last record in South Korea dating back to 1987.

According to Seoul National University Hospital on the 19th, at around 10 p.m. on the 18th, a couple of army officers born in 1991, Captain Kim Jinsu of the 17th Army Division Reconnaissance Battalion and Captain Seo Hyejeong of the Intelligence Battalion, gave birth to quintuplets.

Captain Seo was admitted on the 13th for delivery and gave birth to a total of five children through a cesarean section: four girls and one boy.

The couple met in the ROTC during their university days and got married in December 2018. Afterwards, they were assigned to different units in different regions and lived as a weekend couple. Due to this, they were unable to conceive for two and a half years after marriage and eventually succeeded through artificial insemination. Initially, they were pregnant with sextuplets, but one child was naturally miscarried, and the quintuplets were born.

The birth of quintuplets in South Korea is the first in 34 years since the record at Seoul National University Hospital in 1987. Due to the characteristics of multiple births, they are born with lower birth weights compared to singletons. The quintuplets born on this day were also smaller than average fetuses but are reported to have no major health issues.

More than 30 medical staff, including the attending surgeon Professor Jeon Jonggwan, participated in this delivery. The couple briefly considered selective abortion but ultimately gave birth to all five children after being persuaded by Professor Jeon.

Captain Seo said, "My husband was actually hoping for twins, so he was really happy," and added, "Thanks to Professor Jeon, I was able to maintain a positive attitude throughout the pregnancy."

Meanwhile, netizens who received the news have been sending congratulatory messages. Comments included, "Congratulations on the birth of the quintuplets. Congratulations to the new parents of the five babies. Wishing them all to grow up healthy and strong," "They are true patriots. I hope the government actively supports them," and "The mother carrying the quintuplets is amazing. I hope she takes good care of herself."

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