Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
Public anger intensifies over fatal child abuse
A scene from SBS's “Unanswered Questions,” aired on Jan. 2 / Captured from SBS “Unanswered Questions”
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Celebrities join “#sorryjungin” campaign to mourn death of 16-month-old girl
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Public anger is intensifying over the alleged child abuse of an adopted 16-month-old girl that resulted in her death. Celebrities have joined the “#sorryjungin” campaign to mourn her death and raise awareness on the problem of child abuse.
In the latest episode of the SBS investigative reporting TV show “Unanswered Questions,” aired on Jan. 2, the program covered the story of an adopted child named Jung-in who died last October due to serious injuries to her head and abdomen.
The girl died in hospital after being taken to an emergency room on Oct. 13 last year.
She presented with multiple severe fractures to her skull, ribs and collar bone, and multiple organ failure. It was further revealed from an autopsy that the girl's pancreas was severely damaged and the mesentery covering her small and large intestine was torn. The cited cause of death was damage to the abdomen due to external force.
The toddler's adoptive parents claimed that their daughter fell while playing on the sofa, but the police arrested the girl's mother on suspicions of having child abuse resulting in death. The mother will go to trial on Jan. 13.
It was later revealed that a daycare teacher and pediatrician made three separate reports to the police about suspected child abuse and maltreatment as they had seen the child's body was covered in bruises. They informed the police that the child's adoptive parents had left her alone at home or in a parked car and had habitually assaulted her. However, the police took no action to protect the child.
BTS member Jimin posted “#Jungin-ah I'm sorry” on Weverse, Jan.3, to raise awareness of child abuse. / Captured from Twitter
It has sparked outrage online and celebrities are joining the “#sorryjungin” campaign on social media to mourn the girl's death, filing petitions to call for stricter action against the abuser.
BTS member Jimin posted “#Jungin-ah I'm sorry” on Weverse, prompting ARMY fans to join the cause.
“What was done to Jung-in was cruel, vicious and horrific. How could they do this to this precious little baby? I couldn't sleep because I was so upset. Rest in peace,” actress Han Hye-jin wrote on Instagram.
“Sorry for what you've gone through, Jung-in. This should never happen again. I'm heartbroken,” actress Lee Min-jung wrote on Instagram.
“I'm planning to submit a petition to the court. We must gather together and collect at least 10,000 petitions,” Lee Yoon-ji wrote on Instagram.
Meanwhile, a petitioner posted on Cheong Wa Dae's website, calling for murder charges to be laid against her adoptive parents as the serious bodily injuries they inflicted on the girl resulted in her death. The petitioner also asked for their identities to be made public.
Over 231,000 people have signed the petition in a month. Cheong Wa Dae is required to make an official response for any petition that gains over 200,000 signatures in that period.