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A baby, illegally adopted by a couple soon after her birth in February 2023, died shortly thereafter as a result of neglect, according to police on Tuesday.

The Daegu Dongbu Police Station said the man in his 20s and his girlfriend in her 30s have been arrested on charges including adopting the infant via an online chat platform and child abuse resulting in death.

Police suspect that the baby died within just two weeks after being brought to the couple's home in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Feb. 24 last year.

The baby started showing symptoms of illness after a few days, but the couple did not seek medical help out of fear that the unlawful adoption would be uncovered.

After the baby's death, they allegedly buried the body in a field near the home of a person they knew in Pocheon, also in Gyeonggi Province.

It is unclear what motivated them to adopt the baby girl from her mother, who was searching for a person to take care of the child as she was experiencing financial difficulties. Their “fondness for babies” could be the reason, police said. No financial transactions were found to have occurred between the mother and the couple.

The mother is also being investigated for allegedly violating the child welfare law, police said.

The investigation was prompted by a report filed by officials of Daegu's Dong District who were looking into the baby's vaccination records.