Couple in Their 30s Fed Buldak Sauce and Soju to 2-Year-Old Daughter... Prosecutors Seek Heavy Sentences

Father Faces Life Sentence, Mother Faces 15 Years in Prison

"Abuse Was Severe and Repeated... The Case Is Grave"

Prosecutors have sought heavy sentences for a couple in their thirties who were indicted on charges of abusing their two-year-old daughter, resulting in her death.

Front view of Daejeon District Court. Photo by The Asia Business Daily DB

On September 29, during the final hearing for charges including child abuse resulting in death at the 11th Criminal Division of the Daejeon District Court, presided over by Senior Judge Park Wookeun, prosecutors requested a life sentence for the child's biological father, referred to as "A" (in his 30s), and a 15-year prison term for the biological mother, "B" (also in her 30s). Prosecutors further called for both to complete 80 hours of a child abuse treatment program and to impose a 10-year ban on employment at institutions involving children and adolescents for both defendants.

Regarding A, prosecutors stated, "Even considering the stress from raising a victim who was born prematurely and was in poor health, the degree of abuse inflicted on the victim was extremely severe and repeated. While A admitted to some of the offenses, he attempted to minimize other facts or colluded with his spouse to conceal them."

In regard to B, prosecutors said, "She habitually assaulted and killed the child together with her husband, making this a very serious case. However, compared to A, her acts of abuse were less severe, and it appears that A was responsible for the key factors that led to the child's death. We also considered that she has to raise the remaining children."

Previously, the couple A were indicted on charges of abusing and causing the death of their two-year-old biological daughter at their home in Seo-gu, Daejeon, on December 16, 2024. Prosecutors asserted that the couple fed their daughter Buldak-bokkeum-myeon (extremely spicy stir-fried ramen) sauce, which is spicy even for adults, the day before her death. During a subsequent bathing, the child was dropped on the floor. When the child's condition worsened, they reportedly put soju into a medicine bottle and gave it to her instead of taking her to the hospital.

In court, A cited stress as the reason for the abuse but claimed, "I did not expect the child would die." B argued that feeding the sauce was an attempt to stimulate the child's appetite. Regarding feeding soju in a medicine bottle, B explained, "Because some elders in the countryside give children alcohol, I thought it might help with blood circulation."

The child was born prematurely and had to be treated in the pediatric intensive care unit, among other places, for over a year. It is believed that the couple began to abuse the child intermittently from around October 2024, after the child was discharged from intensive care for the second time.

An autopsy revealed traces of fractures to the child's skull and ribs, bruising on the body, and symptoms of malnutrition. Medical experts also concluded that the child would likely have experienced difficulty breathing while intoxicated after the couple forced her to drink soju.

The couple's lawyer appealed for leniency, stating, "They had to raise a total of four children, including the victim, without any help, which was extremely difficult for them. Facing economic difficulties, they did what they should have never done, just to endure each day." In their final statements, A said, "I am reflecting on my actions and regret doing things I should not have done," while B admitted, "What I did was wrong and I want to beg the child for forgiveness."

Meanwhile, the sentencing for this case is scheduled for October 22.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.