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Police find newborn dead in motel sink, are investigating cause of death

Published: 15 Dec. 2025, 18:00

[JOONGANG ILBO]

A newborn baby was found dead at a motel in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, on Saturday, according to police on Monday.

The motel staff made the 112 report at around 9 p.m. on Saturday. A woman had not checked out at the scheduled time, and when staff entered her room, she appeared to have given birth, according to Uijeongbu Police Precinct on Monday.

Police and fire authorities dispatched to the scene found a female newborn in the bathroom sink, which was reportedly filled with water.

Paramedics transported the baby, who was in cardiac arrest, to a hospital, but the infant was later pronounced dead.

“I gave birth alone in the motel room shortly before [the police arrived] and was trying to wash the baby,” the woman who was at the scene told police.

Police booked the woman on suspicion of child abuse resulting in death and are investigating the circumstances of the case. They have also requested an autopsy for the baby.

“It is too early to say if the death was due to negligence or if there was intent to kill,” a police official said. “We are also examining the cause of death, including the possibility of drowning, based on the autopsy results.”

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.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]