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Baby of Japanese tourists injured in taxi crash dies

Published: 25 Nov. 2025, 20:05 Updated: 25 Nov. 2025, 20:12

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency logo [YONHAP]

The 9-month-old baby of a Japanese tourist couple, who was injured in a taxi crash last month in Seoul last month, has died, police confirmed Tuesday.

According to the Yongsan Police Precinct, the baby — the daughter of a Japanese couple in their 20s — passed away on Nov. 19. She had been hospitalized in critical condition after being hit by a taxi at around 7 p.m. on Oct. 21 in central Seoul's Yongsan District.

The baby had lost consciousness at the scene, while both parents suffered fractures. The family had been visiting Korea on vacation when the incident happened.

A taxi driver crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming passenger car. The driver reportedly admitted during questioning to having mistakenly pressed the wrong pedal. Police found no evidence of drug or alcohol use.

Following the infant’s death, police changed the driver’s charge from causing injury to causing death under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents.

“We are considering requesting an arrest warrant," said the police.

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 KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]