South Korea launches investigation to find over 400 ‘ghost babies’

ANKARA (AA) : South Korean authorities on Wednesday launched an investigation to find the whereabouts of over 400 “ghost babies” following the discovery of two newborns who were allegedly killed by their mother, local media reported.

“A total of 420 ‘ghost baby’ cases had been referred to police, and 400 of them are currently under investigation,” Seoul-based Yonhap News quoted an unnamed official as saying.

According to the official, so far 15 babies have been confirmed dead, and eight of the cases are under investigation, while five other cases were closed.

The development came after police found the bodies of two babies in a refrigerator in Suwon area last month and arrested the mother as the prime suspect.

The woman in her 30s, who allegedly killed two babies shortly after giving birth in 2018 and 2019, and had kept their bodies in a fridge in her apartment.

The shocking revelations caused outrage across the country and the public demanded immediate changes in the existing law to prevent abuses.

Last week, South Korea’s National Assembly passed a bill and amended its law to prevent “ghost babies.” Under the new law, hospitals are obliged to inform the government of the birth of a baby within 14 days.

However, this does not include foreign citizens living in the country.

Earlier, only parents were required to report the births of their children to the government within a month after their births.