Couple arrested for murder of 7-month-old son they neglected while gaming at PC bangs

A couple in their 20s have been arrested after their seven-month-old son died from neglect while they repeatedly left him alone to play games at PC bangs.

The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency said Friday it had detained the couple, identified only as A and B, on charges of child abuse murder.

The pair are accused of failing to properly care for their infant son at their home in Daejeon, causing his death from malnutrition and dehydration.

Police launched an investigation Sunday after a hospital reported that a dead infant had been brought in.

The National Forensic Service conducted an autopsy and delivered a preliminary verbal finding to police that the baby appeared to have died from malnutrition and dehydration.

The investigation found that the couple, who had no regular employment, had repeatedly visited PC bangs and become absorbed in gaming, leaving their young son alone for extended periods.

Police determined there was a strong likelihood of criminal negligence through willful indifference, concluding that the parents had long abandoned their duty to provide care essential to the infant's survival. On that basis, they applied the more serious charge of child abuse murder rather than child abuse resulting in death.

The couple largely acknowledged neglecting the baby, saying they "had been inattentive toward the child," but reportedly maintained they had no intention of killing him.

Police plan to conduct further investigation into the exact duration of the neglect and the full circumstances of the case before referring the couple to prosecutors.