Foreign student arrested for allegedly abandoning newborn in restroom

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Foreign student arrested for allegedly abandoning newborn in restroom

Published: 22 Nov. 2024, 17:21

The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency building [GYEONGGI BUKBU PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY]

Police have sought an arrest warrant for a non-Korean woman in her 20s accused of abandoning a newborn at an underground shopping complex in Uijeongbu.

The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency requested the warrant on Friday on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act.

The woman, a Vietnamese national, allegedly placed the newborn in a bag and left it in a restroom at the underground shopping complex in Uijeongbu Station on Wednesday.

Police received a report about the sound of a baby crying around 5 p.m. Wednesday. The infant, found with the umbilical cord still attached, was immediately taken to a hospital. The baby showed no major health issues.

Based on CCTV footage, police located the suspect at her residence in Uijeongbu. The woman was identified as a student who arrived in Korea earlier this year for her studies.

The woman, however, denied all accusations related to the pregnancy and abandonment of the baby, claiming, “ I did not give birth to that baby.”

A police official, however, said, "Her involvement appears evident based on the evidence, including CCTV footage,” while adding that the investigation into the case is still ongoing.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]