Prosecutors Reveal Full Details of 'Infant Murder' Case Police Tried to Close as Stillbirth... Persistence Shines Through

Murder location (residential bathroom)
Photo by Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution persistently investigated an infant murder case that was nearly closed by the police as a stillbirth, uncovering the full truth.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 3 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Soo-min) announced on the 10th that they have arrested and indicted the biological mother Lee Mo (20) and biological father Kwon Mo (20) on charges of killing their child and hiding the corpse (infanticide and corpse concealment).

They are accused of killing the baby born in the bathroom of their residence in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on January 11 last year by covering the baby's mouth and nose with a towel, then placing the body in a bag and hiding it under an outdoor air conditioner unit. During police investigation, they claimed that "the baby's head was stuck in the birth canal for about two hours, preventing proper delivery," and that the baby was born dead. When the autopsy results came back as 'cause of death unknown,' the police notified the prosecution in June last year with a recommendation to close the case based on the parents' claims.

However, the prosecutor in charge from the Central District Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Protection Division (Chief Prosecutor Yoo Do-yoon) found the police investigation suspicious. It was unusual that despite the delivery difficulties lasting two hours, they did not call 119 (emergency services). The prosecution sent an opinion to the police stating that supplementary investigations, including appraisal and consultation from the Korean Medical Association, were necessary. When the association also concluded 'cause of death unknown,' the police again notified in January that they intended to close the case.

Bag containing a corpse
Photo by Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office

The prosecutor again sent an opinion to the police that the parents should be booked. Considering the autopsy results showed the infant was born alive, and that if there were delivery difficulties, emergency services should have been called or resuscitation such as artificial respiration should have been performed, but no measures were taken, the possibility that the parents caused the infant's death intentionally or negligently could not be ruled out.

Eventually, following the prosecution's opinion, the police booked the parents and obtained a confession of killing the child during the investigation conducted in March and April.

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