For South Korean Couple, Virtual Baby Takes Precedence

Stories of video games taking precedence over one’s health are not entirely uncommon. As tragic as it is, however, you can’t deny the irony involved with a couple inadvertently starving their child to death because they spent upwards of twelve hours a day raising a virtual daughter online.

After losing their jobs, a South Korean couple, consisting of a 41-year old father and his 25-year old wife, spent all of their time playing the popular game Prius Online in an internet cafe. In the game, they devoted their time to raising their virtual daughter Anima and to “escape from reality.”

Cited as having “lost their will to live a normal life” following the loss of their jobs, their baby was often only fed once a day, which ultimately led to her death due to malnutrition. Compounding this was the fact that their daughter was born prematurely.

The couple was ultimately arrested in Suweon, which is just south of Seoul. By this point, their baby, who was three-months old, had already been dead for five months.