Unreported Births of Infants Surge from 193 to 420 Cases... 15 Confirmed Deaths

420 Reports as of 2 PM on the 4th
Life Status of 353 People with Unknown Whereabouts Under Investigation

The number of unreported infants with birth records but no birth registration has increased to 420 cases. Accordingly, the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters (NIH) has launched an investigation.

There have been 400 cases of so-called 'ghost infants' where birth records exist but birth registration has not been completed.
[Photo source=Pixabay]

The National Investigation Headquarters (NIH) of the National Police Agency announced on the 5th that as of 2 p.m. the previous day, they had received 420 cases of unreported births and are investigating 400 of them. The number of investigations into unreported births, which was 193 cases the day before, has more than doubled to 420 cases in just one day.

As the number of reports surged, the police are closely monitoring the situation. It is expected that the number of cases under investigation will increase significantly based on the results of investigations by the government and local governments.

According to the NIH on the 5th, among the reported unregistered births, 15 children were confirmed deceased. Of these, 8 cases with suspected criminal charges are being investigated by the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency and others, while 5 cases were closed with no charges.

Two infants found dead in a refrigerator in Suwon were confirmed to have been killed by their biological mother and were referred to the prosecution. The whereabouts of 353 children remain unknown, and their life status is being verified through investigations.

By police agencies across cities and provinces nationwide, the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency is investigating the most cases with 94. This is followed by the Seoul Police Agency and Daejeon Police Agency with 38 cases each; Gyeongnam Police Agency with 33 cases; Incheon Police Agency and Chungnam Police Agency with 29 cases each; Gyeongbuk Police Agency with 23 cases; Jeonnam Police Agency with 21 cases; Busan Police Agency with 19 cases; Gyeonggi Bukbu Police Agency, Gwangju Police Agency, and Chungbuk Police Agency with 14 cases each; Daegu Police Agency with 10 cases; Jeonbuk Police Agency with 9 cases; Gangwon Police Agency with 8 cases; and Ulsan Police Agency with 7 cases.

In Busan, it was confirmed that biological parents abandoned their 8-day-old daughter in a nearby mountain after she died at home, prompting the Busan Police Agency to launch an investigation. The Seoul Police Agency also began investigating 24 newborns who were abandoned in baby boxes without birth registration during the abandonment process.

The government estimates that over 2,000 children have birth records but no birth registration over the past eight years from 2015 to last year, and is conducting a full survey of their whereabouts and safety. Local government officials visit each household to conduct a primary investigation and refer cases to the police for investigation if necessary.

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