Outside the Gwangju District Court Suncheon Branch on March 26, 2026, a sea of over 170 condolence wreaths lined the street, each one a silent but powerful demand for justice. They bore somber messages: "Sorry Haedeun," "Strengthen child protection laws," and "Give the maximum sentence." Citizens from across South Korea had sent them to mourn and to protest, united by outrage over the so-called 'Haedeun case'—the tragic death of a 4-month-old baby in Yeosu, whose short life ended in unimaginable suffering at the hands of his own mother.
According to KBS, the case first shocked the nation when home camera footage surfaced, showing the baby’s mother violently kicking, shaking, and even stepping on the infant. The footage, later aired on SBS's investigative program That’s What I Want to Know, left viewers across the country reeling and sparked a wave of public grief and anger. The baby, known by the pseudonym 'Haedeun', had lived only 133 days, but his story would galvanize demands for stronger protections for children and harsher penalties for abusers.
On that March day, the prosecution made their case before Judge Kim Yong-kyu. They requested life imprisonment for the 30-something mother, identified as A, who had been charged with child abuse resulting in death, upgraded from her initial charge after investigators painstakingly reviewed approximately 4,800 home camera videos. The father, B, was also in the dock, facing a requested 10-year sentence for neglect and for threatening witnesses during the investigation. Prosecutors further asked for both parents to be barred from working in child- or youth-related institutions for the next decade and to complete a child abuse prevention program.
The prosecutor, visibly moved, described the moment she examined the victim: “The baby was about the size of my forearm, lying on the cold steel of the autopsy table. I’ve seen many bodies in my career, but I have never been so heartbroken,” she said, her voice trembling, as reported by SBS. Prosecutors detailed how the baby suffered multiple fractures and internal bleeding as a result of repeated abuse—acts so severe that even the medical staff conducting the autopsy said they had rarely encountered such extensive injuries in an infant.
In the days and weeks leading up to the child’s death in October 2025, the mother had abused the baby at least 19 times, according to the prosecution’s evidence. The home camera footage, which became central to the case, showed her treating her son “like a toy”—grabbing his ankles and throwing him onto the bed, stepping on his face as he lay crying, and hurling verbal abuse: “Die, because of you,” and “I don’t need someone like you.” These details, as reported by News1 and JoongAng Ilbo, fueled public fury and led to a flood of petitions—more than 5,500—demanding the harshest possible punishment for the parents.
During the sentencing hearing, the courtroom was thick with emotion. According to SBS, as the prosecutor called for a life sentence, the gallery responded with gasps and tears. The mother, A, admitted to the abuse but denied intending to kill her child, repeatedly stating, “I don’t remember. I’m sorry. I had no intention to kill.” In her final statement, she wept and said, “I am the one who caused my child pain and suffering. As a parent, I take responsibility for what I have done and will accept any severe punishment with humility. I sincerely apologize for causing my child pain and death.”
The father, B, also expressed regret, telling the court, “If only I had paid more attention as a father and husband, perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided. When I first saw the abuse footage through the prosecutor, I was in shock and just cried and cried.” Yet, the prosecution noted that he had not only failed to intervene but had also attempted to intimidate witnesses, further compounding his culpability.
Outside the courthouse, the public’s grief and anger were palpable. A citizens’ group, “We Love You, Haedeun, and Will Remember,” held a press conference, calling for the strictest punishment and for lawmakers to strengthen child protection laws. “A slap on the wrist is another death sentence for a child,” they declared, as reported by Yonhap News and Women’s News. The group’s message was echoed by lawmakers; 36 members of the National Assembly signed a petition urging the court to impose the maximum sentence, while an online petition to toughen child abuse laws gathered over 78,000 signatures in just a few weeks.
The prosecution emphasized the broader social implications of the case. “Child abuse is not just an infringement on the rights of the individual, but a grave social harm,” prosecutors stated, according to News1. “Every child has the right to grow up happily in a safe environment, and any act that violates this cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.” They also highlighted the attempt to cover up the crime by staging it as an accidental drowning, as well as the parents’ lack of remorse, as aggravating factors necessitating severe punishment.
The sentencing for both parents is scheduled for April 23, 2026, at 2 PM at the same court. The outcome is highly anticipated, not just by those directly involved but by a nation that has been shaken to its core by the details of this case. The story of Haedeun has reignited debates about the adequacy of South Korea’s child protection system and whether current laws and penalties are sufficient to deter future tragedies.
As the case nears its conclusion, the collective grief and anger of citizens, lawmakers, and advocates remain undimmed. The hope is that the memory of one small child—whose life was marked by suffering but whose death galvanized a country—will lead to change, not only in the courtroom but in society at large.