Daughter's Body Hidden in Kimchi Jar for 3 Years... Autopsy Reveals Hole in Skull

Police: "Cannot Confirm If Injuries Occurred During Life... Investigating Parents"
15-Month-Old Daughter Left Unattended and Died... "Not a Case of Abuse" Claimed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] The parents of a 15-month-old daughter who died and whose body was hidden in a kimchi container for three years have been arrested by the police. An autopsy revealed that the child's skull had a hole.

On the 24th, the Pocheon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that following the request for an autopsy of the deceased girl C, who died due to neglect by her biological mother A (34), on the 16th at the National Forensic Service, they received a verbal opinion stating "there was a hole in the skull." However, due to the severe decomposition of the body, it is not possible to definitively determine whether the hole occurred while the child was alive. The police are investigating the cause of death with the parents.

Earlier, the police booked A on charges of concealment of a corpse and violation of the Child Welfare Act, and her ex-husband B (29) was booked on charges of concealment of a corpse. A is suspected of neglecting her 15-month-old daughter C to death at their home in Pyeongtaek City in January 2020. At that time, A reportedly neglected childcare by leaving the young daughter alone for long periods while visiting her husband B, who was incarcerated.

After the daughter died, A left the body on the veranda of the house or placed it in a bag and moved it to her parents' home for storage. After his release, B is understood to have stored C’s body in a kimchi container measuring 35 cm wide, 24 cm long, and 17 cm high on the rooftop of his family home in Seoul.

The case came to light after three years following a report from Pocheon City, where C was registered. Pocheon City became suspicious because A, now 4 years old, had not undergone infant health checkups or been registered at a childcare facility, and reported the disappearance to the police.

When the full investigation began, A denied the death, claiming "I abandoned the child on the street," but admitted the death after the police involved profilers and conducted digital forensic analysis. However, A reportedly stated that "the daughter did not die from abuse." Regarding the concealment of the body, she reportedly said, "I did it because I thought I would be suspected of causing the child's death."

Meanwhile, A and B have another son who is 9 years old, and they are currently divorced.

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