20s Broker Involved in Child Trafficking Targeting Single Mothers: "I Was Immature and Made Foolish Decisions"

Prosecutors: "Profiting from Child Trafficking... Serious Crime"
Defendant's Side: "Still Young and First Offense... Please Consider"

An infant broker who was arrested and indicted for buying a newborn from an unmarried mother and reselling the baby to another woman within two hours has been sentenced to prison.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 11th at the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 9 (Judge Jeong Hee-young), the prosecution requested a three-year prison sentence for A (25), who was arrested and indicted on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act (child trafficking).

The prosecution stated, "The defendant privately traded children as a means of making money and gained approximately 2 million won in financial benefits," adding, "Considering the defendant's poor criminal nature, we have requested this sentence."

A was indicted on charges of visiting the hospital where B was admitted at 9:57 a.m. on August 24, 2019, paying 980,000 won in hospital fees, and receiving B's six-day-old daughter, C. Later that day, at around 11:34 a.m., A met D (53) at a cafe in Incheon and sold C for 3 million won, leading to additional charges.

Earlier in July of the same year, A saw a post by B on the internet stating, "I got pregnant with my boyfriend, but I am not capable of raising the child." A approached B, saying, "My husband has azoospermia and cannot conceive, so I want to take the child, register the birth, and raise her." A also contacted D, who wanted to adopt, pretending to be pregnant and saying, "I want to give birth and then put the child up for adoption," which led to the transaction.

However, after difficulties arose during the process of registering C as D's child, D abandoned the baby in a baby box. Fortunately, C was adopted elsewhere and is currently confirmed to be safe.

In the final defense, A's lawyer said, "The defendant judged that it was better for the child born to parents who could not raise her to grow up in a different environment rather than being abandoned," and asked the court to consider that the defendant was born in 1999, is young, and has no prior criminal record as a first-time offender.

In the final statement, A appealed, "I was immature and made foolish decisions," adding, "I will never do such actions again and will live as a proper person." The sentencing hearing for A is scheduled for next month.

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