Prosecutors seek 3-year prison term for woman who sold baby

(123rf)

South Korean prosecutors on Thursday requested a three-year prison term from the court for a 25-year-old woman who is accused of buying a baby from a single mother and selling her to another woman.

In a final hearing for the case held at the Incheon District Court, the prosecution said the accused, surnamed Kim, should be jailed for using a child as a means of making profit.

Kim is accused of purchasing a 27-year-old woman's newly born daughter for 980,000 won ($750) on Aug. 24, 2019, and selling her to a 53-year-old woman surnamed Oh for 3 million won just two hours later. The 27-year-old woman had written on the internet about her unwanted pregnancy, which Kim saw and offered to buy the baby.

After Oh bought the baby from Kim, she abandoned her within a month of the purchase. The baby was found by authorities and was safely adopted by another family.

All three women have been indicted for violating Article 17 of the Child Welfare Act that bans the financial transaction of a child.

In a final testimony at the hearing, Kim said the reason for her actions was that she was young and immature, and pledged never to do it again. Her lawyer said her client thought it would be better for the baby to be raised in a different environment, than to be raised by a parent who couldn't take care of a child.

But an investigation found that Kim is a repeat offender, having been sentenced to a suspended jail term under the same charges in October 2022.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)