Tragic news out of South Korea. A young father allegedly let his two-year-old son die due to negligence. The reason? The father was apparently spending all his time gaming.
According to Yonhap News, a 22-year-old man with the last name Chung had been living apart from his wife due to financial difficulties. The wife got a job at a factory, and she moved into the factory’s dorms, leaving her husband with their young son.
The couple had met via an online game while still in high school.
However, Daegu city police states that Chung would spend his days and nights at internet cafes, playing online games. He would only check in on his two year-old every two or three days, feeding the child and then leaving to head off to another PC bang (net cafe) or a sauna house, where he could bathe.
On March 7, Chung allegedly found his son dead. He finally disposed of the body in a garbage bag on April 11. When his wife asked where their son was, he said the child was at a babysitter’s. Chung apparently continued going to net cafes and playing PC games. Kukinews (also via Sang) states that Chung was playing League of Legends and Sudden Attack.
Yonhap News reports that Chung has confessed to causing his son’s death.
<‘게임중독’ 父, 생후 28개월 아들 방치 ‘엽기 살인’>(종합) [Yonhap News — Thanks Sang!]
게임중독과 아동학대가 앗아간 두 생명[Kukinews]
Picture: jangbaksa
Comments
18 responses to “Father Allegedly Let Son Die While He Played Online Games”
Wtf is wrong with people these days!!!
I think you will find that this kind of neglect has been happening for thousands of years and isn’t just “These days”
I think you will find that he was most likely referring to neglect as a result of video games – a medium that didn’t exist until our recent history. On topic: He’s right.
No he’s not. the fact the played games is 100% irrelevant. The same shit probably happened 100’s of years ago at the local opium/ gambling /gladiator den.
Video games are not addictive, they do not work like booze and drugs. The only people who get “addicted” (and really who are we kidding something is only addictive if 100% of all people that use it for a set period of time become unable to stop that is not gaming or gambling).
Just like gambling tv show and movie “Addiction”, the problem isn’t the medium its the person so can we stop pinning this shit on games already, fuck.
I didn’t say it has to do with games. Im just saying people who have an addiction problem like this, then shouldn’t have kids. Cause they lack the responsibility to care for another.
Can I just say I’m getting a little tired of seeing these sorts of articles here.
XXX person does something stupid, negligent, oh but there is video games involved somehow so lets report about it.
We are at the point now where games are just another form of media we consume, and it is a legitimate hobby for many people.
We are a video game enthusiast community. Any time someone dies because of a drunk driver, is that reported on jalopnik? [car enthusiast kotaku affiliate FYI] What about someone neglecting their child because they were binge watching game of thrones?
I mean, we want to read interesting news and developments in the video game world, not about “what stupid things selfish parents have done this week”. I just don’t see how this is relevant to anyone who reads this site.
Couldn’t agree with you more.
that’s my biggest issue with Kotaku police blotter, it’s just a article about disgusting and disturbing crimes related to games.
Really? Why do you have to be this autistic about an article? Just dont read it you neckbeard.
I have read your comment a few times and had some big convoluted reply typed out but deleted it. All I’m going to say is, it could be very relevant to some people.
Just think outside your square for a minute. By the by, nobody forced you to read the article and I’m sure a number of people do actually read this type of thing and may get something out of it.
Just stating facts friend.
Well, the article could very well just be “Negligent parent causes death of child”.
This isn’t gaming news.
I don’t like being ‘warned’ not to be negligent, because I’m a gamer.
“Don’t be negligent or you may kill your kids” is pretty standard no matter who you are.
Only in South Korea.
Probably not, unfortunately.
Since no Australian mothers ever neglect their kids while they play the pokies right?
Seriously, body was found on March 7, disposed of April 11, more than a month later… that’s insane… what kind of a-hole doesn’t even bother to that insane degree…
In other news negligent idiots play games to, who knew?
i came in to check whether this happened in South Korea. was not disappointed.
@julesliam
Clearly, there are some mental issues at play here. Not excusing the behaviour at all, but to just assume the guys priorities are wrong is a bit short-sighted here.
I would not be surprised to learn Chung tried to deal with stressful situations by avoiding them — escaping into games. Every stressor… if this were the case, the death of his child would certainly drive him deeper in — the last thing he’d want to face would be the fact that his own inattention was responsible for that tragic fate. That’s hard enough for well-balanced people, even when things are not their fault (check out any driver who survived a car crash which killed someone else… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor%27s_guilt).
For people like Chung, who already escape their lives into games? I’m surprised he didn’t stay under longer.
In the end, I just feel sad for him. He’s suffering, and may never recover.
(Just so you know, I’m sad for the child too. My first thoughts in a death situation always go to the survivors — the dead are beyond immediate help.)
This sounds all too familiar, 4 years ago two South Korean parents neglected their 3 mouth old baby for a game where they look after a virtual child. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/01/korea.parents.starved.baby/
It looks like South Korea has a severe Gaming Addiction problem.