According to the National Investigation Office, the number of unregistered infanticide cases in South Korea has risen to 939. A nationwide campaign is being conducted to verify the health of over 2,000 undocumented babies born since 2015. The National Office of Investigation said on Monday that as of July 7, police had registered a total of 1,069 “ghost baby” cases and 939 of them were currently under investigation. The latest figures mark an increase of 159 additional cases since July 6, the Yonhap news agency reported. Of the total reported cases, 34 infant deaths have been confirmed, of which there is no information on 19 cases.
Police investigations are ongoing into suspected crimes involving 11 other dead infants, including the two deaths in Seoul. The cases are being investigated by the police after the parents of the newborns are suspected of their deaths. The police are also probing cases where there are medical records of births but no official birth registration. The government is running a nationwide campaign to screen more than 2,000 unregistered babies. Police said they are investigating to trace the 782 unidentified babies.
