Police investigate discovery of child's skeletal remains in Cheongju heritage site

Police are investigating the discovery of a young child's skeletal remains at a heritage site in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, local authorities said Wednesday.

The remains were found at around 3 p.m. Tuesday by a staff member working on an ongoing archaeological excavation of burial mounds in the Sinbong-dong area.

Authorities estimate the child was between 5 and 7 years old.

The remains were reportedly found about 60 centimeters (23 inches) below the surface and wrapped in what appeared to be a traditional swaddling cloth.

The area was once used as a communal burial ground, though most graves have since been relocated, according to officials.

The tomb complex dates back to the 4th and 5th centuries, when the area was under the rule of Baekje (18 B.C. to A.D. 660), one of the three kingdoms that once vied for control over the Korean Peninsula.

A police official said the child did not appear to have died recently.

“Based on the condition of the remains, it appears a significant amount of time has elapsed,” the official said. “We plan to request an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]