Child dies as parents play WoW

By Ellie Gibson Published 20 June, 2005

Police charge Korean couple.

A Korean husband and wife are facing criminal charges after their baby daughter died when they left her alone in order to play World of Warcraft.

According to news site Chosun, police say the parents left their four month-old child alone in a bedroom while they went to play the MMORPG at a local Internet cafe.

When they returned five hours later, the baby was lying on her stomach and had died of suffocation.

"We were thinking of playing for just an hour or two and returning home like usual, but the game took longer that day," the couple is reported as saying.

Following a police investigation, the husband and wife will be required to defend their actions in court.

"It's unfortunate, because the tragedy could have been averted if the couple had just left their daughter with Yu's mother-in-law, who lived upstairs from them," said police.

"We booked the pair on criminal charges, judging that when you consider the situation, they were responsible for their daughter's death."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (46) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ruttyboy #1 7 years ago

    You should have a license to be a parent, I fully believe that. Surely it's just as dangerous as driving?

  • symmetry #2 7 years ago

    Well they are just irresponsible idiots and it's really got nothing to do with the game.

  • boo #3 7 years ago

    Poor kid.
    Four months old. There's enough children dying in the world everyday that we can't do anything about, without children dying because their parents wanted to go out.
    What did they think was going to happen?

    Like Rutty says, the sooner you have to pass some sort of prove-you're-not-an-idiot test to be a parent the better.

    /wonders if that way lies madness
    Edited by 1 at 20/06/05 @ 13:55

  • drumbaby #4 7 years ago

    Chilling.

  • Groggen #5 7 years ago

    Of to the Asylum with them.. for life!

    You don't leave a four month old baby alone like that for heavens sake! I get so upset by these things.. especially after I got kids myself...

  • Negotiator #6 7 years ago

    Hang the BA**ARDS, jail is to good for them.
    Edited by 1 at 20/06/05 @ 14:04

  • dk_rare #7 7 years ago

    Mother of pearl! Remind me never to get into an argument with a Korean about Nintendo being better than Playstation!

  • Derblington #8 7 years ago

    There must be something in the air.

  • tonynibbles #9 7 years ago

    This is of course entirely Blizzards' own doing.

    Can someone let the Daily Mail know about these kind of outrageous games?

  • #10 7 years ago

    I bet WoW get's 'blamed' for killing this poor kid insted of the 2 asshats.

    Tragic... for both the child and for all the shit WoW will recieve.

  • firm3d #11 7 years ago

    I couldn't leave my kids alone for 5 minutes, never mind 5 hours. Who prioritises games over kids? "We were thinking of playing for just an hour or two and returning home like usual, but the game took longer that day"? They need long-term counselling and a court order against them having children until it can be proved they've gotten the help they need.

  • Zuiyo #12 7 years ago

    Out of 2 million WoW players, only two managed to act this irresponsibly. That probably means it's the PARENTS' fault and not Blizzard.

    I pity the kid, and I despise the parents. To jail with them.

  • wattoo #13 7 years ago

    Maybe if they'd played the Sims instead of WoW, this would never have happened.

  • Talha #14 7 years ago

    An hour or two? AN HOUR OR TWO? I think half an hour is enough for a child to suffocate. It has got nothing to do with the game - they could just as easily go shopping for 5 hours leaving behind the child, the kind of parents they appear to be. How DARE they try to explain away by saying, 'The game took longer!'

    I would have said that their child is dead and they are going to live to repent it for the rest of their lives, so it is punishment enough for them. But no, they dare come out and try to jusitfy their stupidity. Hello, WoW is an MMORPG. If you play it like you really ought to, you'd be sitting before a computer for the rest of your life and never have children in the first place!

    Dont even get me started on the fact that their mother in law lived upstairs. It is criminal and it is insane - above all, it is tragic.

  • trevd72 #15 7 years ago

    guess you get chav parents all over the world. in starship troopers you had to earn the right to get a license to have children it should happen. After all perfectly good potential parents are not allowed to adopt for little reason and queen chav down the road can have five kids with no job.

    a child under the age of say 8 should not be allowed to stay in the house alone for more than 15 minutes
    Edited by 1 at 20/06/05 @ 14:55

  • kalel #16 7 years ago

    Oh this kind of thing makes me angry. What is the relevance of what they were doing? If they had been reading Chaucer would that have made a difference? The WoW thing is completely and utterly irrelevent. :/

  • AndyE #17 7 years ago

    I'd take these shitbags to a vet and have them neutered without anaesthetic. Then lock them up a crappy little cell with only a bed and bucket and only let them out once a week for some exercise followed by a savage beating.

  • Freek #18 7 years ago

    " You should have a license to be a parent, I fully believe that. Surely it's just as dangerous as driving?"

    We do, it's called evolution. Except it's penatly for breaking the rules is death, as happend here. The best parents have thier genes survive to the next generation, the dumb don't.
    Edited by 2 at 20/06/05 @ 15:05

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #19 7 years ago

    They shouldn't have left a baby like that alone for well, a handful of minutes. In Dark Age of Camelot, a mmorpg a few years old now, I met a lot of housewives/men that played to pass the time through the day. They'd be playing at home though, so they could provide the constant eye on their kids - sort of.

    The nature of mmorpgs is to invest a lot of time in them, and as you're playing with real people, it's a lot harder to just pop on for an hour or so - unless you're a solo'er.

    I don't think WoW's to blame here at all, like you've all said - but I look at parents that play WoW and I do sort of frown a bit. I'm a carefree young strapping chap, with little to no responsibilties; I shouldn't, but it wouldn't harm anyone else if I got wrapped up in an mmorpg. Those that are directly responsible for other people, namely parents responsible for their children have to be very careful.

    Having said that, I've seen a plus side to it. Lots of parents play at the same time as their child, I can see how that's a plus more than a minus.

    Erm, none of that makes sense, so I'll just toddle off

  • ruttyboy #20 7 years ago

    "We do, it's called evolution. Except it's penatly for breaking the rules is death, as happend here. The best parents have thier genes survive to the next generation, the dumb don't."

    Well, judging by the plethora of drooling morons I meet on a daily basis I'd say it's not working fast enough.

  • blicko #21 7 years ago

    My heart just sank. Poor child.

  • #22 7 years ago

    This reminds of Trainspotting with the 'blue faced baby'. Dead, because the mother/father (?) where too busy doing drugs and just plain forgot the child.

  • kflarsen #23 7 years ago

    "Well, judging by the plethora of drooling morons I meet on a daily basis I'd say it's not working fast enough. "

    Indeed, let's hope no-one here has any children, eh? Eh?

    \gets pelted with tomatoes

  • Razz #24 7 years ago

    :o

    Daily Mail Headline "GAMES KILL BABIES: FACT"

  • ProfessorLesser #25 7 years ago

    I have to say it... I don't really care, and I'd be surprised if as many of you who've commented do either.

    This is nothing to do with us, is none of our business, and, above all, probably happens a damn sight more than just this one time it got reported. Have a little perspective.

    Police are now suspecting that the CEO's of some companies extorting sweat-shops and brothels in China are in fact avid Xbox Live gamers :/

  • AndyE #26 7 years ago

    If you don't care then that's your business, some of us genuinely find this news disgusting that 2 people would put their ultimately pointless WoW characters before their own 4 month-old daughter.
    Edited by 1 at 20/06/05 @ 16:16

  • ProfessorLesser #27 7 years ago

    Do you know that?

    I'm sure it wasn't their intention to go out and leave their child to die. Like someone said, this could just as easily have been someone reading a book, and could just as easily have happened while they were downstairs in the living room.

    You are not in posession of all the facts. You are also not, I gather, privy to the custums in Korea... it certainly may be unacceptable for a child to be left alone that long over here, and easy may it be for us to hold them in contempt, but at the end of the day...

    Que sera, sera.

  • #28 7 years ago

    its terrible and disgusting! i mean if they had gone to play a decent game i could understand but warcraft ? thats just sick :(

  • PearOfAnguish #29 7 years ago

    Natural selection is a bitch.

  • captain-future #30 7 years ago

    I'm sorry for the parents and the child.

    Yet I don't see the relevance... I'm sure bad things happen to people while their parents are otherwise occupied.

  • raikov #31 7 years ago

    If only it wasn't WoW they'd gone to play, surely they'd have been level 60 in 2 hours anyways! ;p

  • CrashyBoy #32 7 years ago

    What's the world coming to?

  • AndyE #33 7 years ago

    ProfessorLesser, I do know that because it says so in the damn article that they buggered off to play WoW instead of looking after their kid. They couldn't even have been bothered to ask granny, who was only upstairs, to look after her. What granny would turn down the chance to spend time with their grandchild? The fact is the way that child died because her parents would rather play WoW for hours in some interent cafe is disgusting to me.

    As for it possibly being acceptable in Korea to leave 4 month-old babies alone in a house for 5 hours? The police said, "We booked the pair on criminal charges, judging that when you consider the situation, they were responsible for their daughter's death" so obviously it's not taken as acceptable behaviour towards a baby and that this isn't being seen as an unfortunate accident, they're definitely blaming the parents. I studied psychology at A Level and we covered parents and how they behave towards their children, abandoning them at that age for 5 hours isn't normal anywhere on the planet.

  • Mr_Brown #34 7 years ago

    Wait...parents leave a four month old baby alone for 5 hours and they are considering if they are responsible?! Or do they really think its Blizzards fault for making such an addictive game!?

    Personally people like that should be steralised and then locked up for a very long time.
    Edited by 1 at 20/06/05 @ 21:19

  • Nesty #35 7 years ago

    stop talking about sterilisation and extreme punishments.. jesus... you sound like a bunch of right wing extremists or someting.

    they were clearly bad parents, and they have made a dire mistake, their loss of thier own child through sheer thoughtlessnes should be punishment enough for them. if they dont feel guilty about it, then i just feel very sorry for them.

  • Scribble #36 7 years ago

    WTS [Screaming Infant]x1

    Seriously though... They left the house to go and play WOW at an internet cafe? Leaving a 4 month old alone in the house?

    WOW is good.

    But it's not that good...

    Still at least it proves moronic parenting is not limited to the UK.

  • #37 7 years ago

    never met a nice south kore-e-an

    and that's not b**dy surprising mate

    /takes tongue out of cheek

    though on a serious note they are the south africans of asia

  • Zuiyo #38 7 years ago

    I have met a few south Koreans and they all were very nice people. I used to share a flat with a South Korean girl and she brought lots of friends home. I also met some others backpacking through Europe.

  • Darkedge #39 7 years ago

    what morons - just your typical WoW players ;)

  • Donglebomb #40 7 years ago

    > This is nothing to do with us, is none of our business, and, above all,
    > probably happens a damn sight more than just this one time it got
    > reported. Have a little perspective.

    Sorry, I didn't realise we weren't allowed to be sympathetic towards smaller-scale tragedies than natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Christ. I have three kids and this story strikes a serious chord with me. Maybe you're the one who should 'have a little perspective' rather than trying to come across as the big hard realist just because YOU can't find it within yourself to give a toss.

    > You are not in posession of all the facts. You are also not, I gather,
    > privy to the custums in Korea...

    Well, the police - who presumably WERE in possession of all the facts - said "when you consider the situation, they were responsible for their daughter's death" and promptly arrested them. That sums up the whole story pretty well, I think.

  • Fozzie_bear #41 7 years ago

    I'm sure it wasn't their intention to go out and leave their child to die.

    No, it probably wasn't. But that's what happened isn't it? True, the fact that they were playign a game is irrelevant. The relevant fact is that they left the house. It'd be criminal here and rightly so.

  • sfguru1 #42 7 years ago

    Its all about the selfishness. I live in korea. I have spoken to many psycologists about stuff like this. The main problem is that you have one of the most self-centered and selfish populations in the world. They only care about what they want and what happens to them.

    I'm guessing that the only reason that they even had the kid was because of pressure from their parents. If they don't do what their parents say then they miss out on hundreds of thousands of dollars from their parents. So, they do the selfish thing and have a child so they can get their inheirantance from their parents.

    There are things that happen like this everyday. Complete lack of respect for anybody but themselves. Its an epidemic here. So these parents just cared more about what they wanted to do than their baby. Thats it just plain selfishness.

  • mathewthegreat #43 5 years ago

    They probably wiped so much their gear was red, then got a 10g repair bill, then got home and their kid was dead, my heart goes out to these people.

  • Reako #44 4 years ago

    I really don't see HOW blizzard are to be blamed for this... would you blame Hollywood for their movies if the parents went to the shops and decided they wanted to watch a movie?

    Would you close down a shopping mall if the parents decided they needed some clothes?

    Regardless the parents have done the wrong thing here and their child is now dead, what really throws me off is that they couldn't even take the time to ask the grandmother to look after the kid.

    Even if they were to leave for an hour or two, you'd have the brains to ensure your child was looked after. Heck, i know parents who can hardly bear to leave their children unsupervised for 15mins for a shower! At the end of the day it just comes back to bad parenting and has nothing to do with online gaming.
    Edited by 1 at 13/01/08 @ 14:29

  • tidyl #45 4 years ago

    Makes me sick. Its a little stupid tho im sure unintended to have a wow ad next to the article, ya think?

  • amcd28 #46 3 years ago

    Watching your children grow up and become little people is infinitely more fun than gaming.

    These fucking idiots think it's acceptable to leave their 4 month old child alone to play WoW?

    I wouldn't have dreamt of such a thing when my son was that age.

    Things like this switch on some sort of primeval instinct in most parents like myself, because I'd never, ever, ever, tire of kicking their fucking faces.

    Jesus. I will properly be hugging the boy tight when I get in.

    Even though he hates it!

  • trollerboaster #47 3 years ago

    "Its all about the selfishness. I live in korea. I have spoken to many psycologists about stuff like this. The main problem is that you have one of the most self-centered and selfish populations in the world. They only care about what they want and what happens to them.

    I'm guessing that the only reason that they even had the kid was because of pressure from their parents. If they don't do what their parents say then they miss out on hundreds of thousands of dollars from their parents. So, they do the selfish thing and have a child so they can get their inheirantance from their parents."

    I agree with you man..I live in Korea too as a student.And I felt sort of the same way.In korea,you can live your whole life alone.And there is many of those who we're unlucky to live under pressure from father and mother even for some grown ups.It's good to be cared by parents but at some point if these parents are being very demanding and self centered,that could push the limits of their child.Just check the suicide rate for this country.It's scary yet these people don't think that it's weird.It just how is life to them.Good thing about being Korean is that you only know Korean language.It's not necessary to learn English.Their government can easily brainwash their citizen if they have only one language.

    For people that cannot understand why such sad thing like that happened,I wish you all to come to Korea to see the way they live.Don't be brainwashed by their popular K-Drama.
    I that truly understand them,can only shake my head.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/08 @ 15:47