Woman accused of killing two newborns, keeping them in freezer for years

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — Police in South Korea say they have requested an arrest warrant for a woman accused of killing two of her newborns and keeping their bodies in her freezer for years.

An official with the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police told CNN the woman, in her 30s, had admitted killing the babies and said that she did so because she faced economic difficulties in caring for her three other children, ages 12, 10 and 8.

The newborns were only a day old when they died, the official added.

Her first alleged victim was her fourth child, born in a hospital in November 2018. Police allege she strangled the girl the day after giving birth, and put the body in the freezer of her home. She is accused of doing the same to her fifth child, a boy born in November 2019.

Her husband said he had been told the two children were aborted, and therefore did not know about the alleged murders, according to police.

The case came to light in May when the government’s Board of Audit and Inspection found the babies’ births were never officially registered, although there was a record of their births in the hospital.

The board then notified Suwon City Hal, the municipal government, which requested a police investigation after the mother refused an on-site inspection.

On June 21, the police conducted a search and seizure operation in the woman’s home, during which she confessed to the murders, police say.

The woman is due to attend an arrest warrant hearing on Friday.