Parents Who Buried 3-Day-Old Son Alive Have Prison Sentences Finalized

In 2017, a man in his 30s, identified as A, buried his 3-day-old son alive on a mountain in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, causing the child's death. A was sentenced to prison terms in both the first and second trials. A gave birth to a son at a hospital in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, around October 27, 2017, and on the day of discharge three days later, on October 30, buried the child on a mountain near his wife's parents' home in Gwangyang. A was handed over to trial on murder charges and sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison in an appeals hearing held in March 2024.

A told the local authorities that another family member was raising the child. However, when the child's whereabouts could not be confirmed, the local government requested a police investigation, leading to the exposure of the crime. The case was uncovered during a blanket investigation into 'ghost babies'—infants born at medical facilities but without birth registrations—after a local government requested an inquiry. A was caught after the crime was revealed during a police investigation into the status of unregistered newborns.

During the police investigation, A stated, "I buried the child while he was alive." Police conducted an excavation investigation for three days at the location A designated but failed to recover the body.

The birth reporting system was implemented on July 19, 2024. This system involves medical institutions directly reporting birth information to local governments via the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. According to the Supreme Court of Korea and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 345,992 birth notifications were reported to local governments between the implementation of the system and the end of November last year. The 'blind spot' has been reduced as it is now possible for the government to record births ex officio even if parents do not report them.

However, even after the implementation of the system, the birth reporting system does not apply to births that do not pass through hospitals. In April, an incident occurred where a woman in her 20s gave birth to a baby in a restroom at her workplace and attempted to abandon the baby in a trash can but was discovered by a colleague, resulting in an attempted crime charge.