Woman gets suspended sentence for illegally purchasing newborn, abusing child
Published: 12 Oct. 2025, 14:52
![A nurse picks up a newborn baby at a hospital in western Seoul on Feb. 26. [JUN MIN-KYU]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/12/1001c8f5-a83a-4399-a9a8-9ac7adcd3f4d.jpg)
A nurse picks up a newborn baby at a hospital in western Seoul on Feb. 26. [JUN MIN-KYU]
A 36-year-old woman who illegally purchased a newborn for 288,000 won ($200), physically abused the child and failed to register the baby's birth was sentenced to a suspended prison term.
The Incheon District Court upheld a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, for the woman for child trafficking and child abuse under the Child Welfare Act. The ruling matches the lower court’s decision.
She was found guilty of purchasing the infant by paying the hospital bill on Jan. 25, 2018, at a medical facility in Seo District, Busan, when the child was 15 days old. Unable to conceive and facing difficulties adopting, she reportedly came into contact with the baby’s birth parents through an online post seeking someone to take in the child.
She was also convicted of physically abusing the child at her home in Ganghwa County, Incheon, in September 2022 by hitting her multiple times with a flyswatter and a remote control on her thighs and shoulders.
After taking custody of the child, the woman and her spouse failed to report the birth, and the child received neither required vaccinations nor basic medical care. Prosecutors argued this amounted to neglect and abandonment under the Child Welfare Act and brought related charges.
However, while the court upheld the convictions for trafficking and abuse, it acquitted her of neglect and abandonment.
“From when the child was 15 days old until she was transferred to a child protection agency in June 2023, the defendants did not register the child's birth,” the appellate court said. “She missed most of her vaccinations, had a small physique, showed signs of malnutrition and exhibited vision problems.”
Still, the court ruled that the couple had taken some minimal protective steps. “While their caregiving did not meet societal norms, it is difficult to conclude that their conduct amounts to legal neglect or abandonment,” the ruling said.
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 JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)