South Korea was reminded of the tragic consequences of gaming addiction earlier this year when a couple were found guilty of starving their baby to death while they raised a virtual child in an internet cafe. The father, Kim Jae-beom 41, was sentenced to two years in prison in May after admitting neglect of their three-month-old daughter Sa-rang – "love" in Korean – while they spent up to 12 hours a time at a PC bang playing a 3D fantasy game called Prius Online.
"I think of our baby in heaven," he said. "I'll be guilty until the day I die."
His wife, Kim Yun-jeong, 25, expecting their second child next month, was given a suspended two-year sentence. While the couple fed and lavished gifts on their virtual child, Anima, allowing her to acquire magical powers as she grew, their real daughter starved in their single-room apartment. She was fed nothing but powdered milk two or three times a day, before and after her parents' marathon gaming excursions. The court heard how the couple, who met through an online chatroom, arrived home one morning last September after spending another night at a PC bang to find Sa-rang dead. The infant, born prematurely, weighed just 5.5lbs when she died.
