Parents received $8,000 in child care benefits up to death of 7-month-old, records show
The parents of an infant who died from malnutrition and dehydration were found to have received benefits under a system that failed to detect signs of abuse.
Korean National Polioce Agency logo is seen in an undated photo.YONHAP
A Daejeon couple indicted over the death of their 7-month-old son received 12.17 million won ($8,600) in public child care benefits during the boy’s life, yet welfare screening systems never flagged him as "at risk."
The Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office indicted the parents in custody on July 31 on charges including murder by child abuse. Prosecutors allege they left the boy unattended for long periods while they played games at internet cafes.
The boy weighed in the 3-kilogram range (7 to 9 pounds) when he died, less than half the roughly 8 kilograms considered standard for a 7-month-old boy. An autopsy by the National Forensic Service found malnutrition and dehydration to be the cause of death.
Benefits were paid for the boy from December of last yearthrough July, according to data released Tuesday by the office of Democratic Party Rep. Park Jeong-hyeon, based on records submitted by Daejeon and other authorities.
The household received 8 million won in parental allowance, 2 million won through the First Encounter Voucher, a one-time government subsidy for newborn expenses, 1.05 million won in other child care support, 820,000 won in child allowance and a 300,000 won childbirth incentive. In July, the month the boy died, it still received 1 million won in parental allowance and 105,000 won in child allowance, for a total of 1,105,000 won.
Daejeon authorities found that the boy had not been flagged by either of the two welfare screening systems used to identify children or households at risk. The systems scan administrative records for warning signs such as missed health screenings, utility shutoffs and unpaid health insurance premiums, then refer selected households for an in-person check by an official.
“The child had received an infant health screening and one required vaccination, so the systems did not identify anything unusual,” a Daejeon city official said.
Police also found no previous child abuse or domestic violence reports involving the boy or his parents.
“Records from the account into which government support was deposited show payments for internet cafe use and games,” a police official said. “But the account also received income unrelated to government support, so it is difficult to conclude that the internet cafe expenses or game purchases were paid with government benefits.”
An internet cafe in Seocho District, southern Seoul, where Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang visited on June 7. The photo is unrelated to the article.YONHAP
Government and local authorities continued paying the child care benefits from the boy’s birth until his death, but the screening mechanisms intended to identify children who might be unsafe never activated.
A civic group campaigning for stronger protections for infants has proposed legally requiring guardians to take children to four health screenings from 14 days after birth and their second birthday. The group also wants child allowance payments temporarily suspended as a final step if guardians repeatedly fail to comply.
The group proposed starting with mobile and telephone notices, followed by a home visit and face-to-face check by an official. A National Assembly public petition seeking related regulations is also underway.
“This case should not end with holding the parents responsible,” the DP's Rep. Park said. “We need to think about a child welfare system that puts the child first.”
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]
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.
