Toddler dies after choking on rice cake at Gimpo day care, teacher under investigation
Korean rice cake "tteok" gettyimagesbank
A two-year-old boy died after choking on a rice cake at a day care center in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, leading to an investigation and charges against the day care teacher.
Gimpo Police said Monday they have booked a day care teacher, identified as A, at a day care center in Gochon-eup, Gimpo, on charges of involuntary manslaughter. A is accused of negligence in supervising the child, B, during snack time on May 22 at 3:10 p.m., leading to the boy’s death.
According to the police investigation, the day care center provided children with sliced baekseolgi (a type of rice cake) during snack time. The boy choked while A briefly left the room, and no signs of abuse were detected in the case.
The child was transported to a nearby hospital by emergency responders after the day care center called for help, but he was pronounced dead. Staff at the day care attempted the Heimlich maneuver before paramedics arrived.
The National Forensic Service delivered an initial verbal assessment after an autopsy, stating the likely cause of death was suffocation due to airway obstruction.
Police said they plan to continue questioning A and other day care staff to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.