Lee hatched his plot when he helped his father register a son by another woman. In the process, he fabricated the birth registration form from the hospital and additionally reported a son of his own.

Under normal circumstances, Lee’s child would have enrolled in primary school this academic year under the Korean education system. When the boy failed to show up at the beginning of the academic year in March, and his whereabouts could not be accounted for, the Busan City government requested a police investigation.

The police found that there were no records of his son’s vaccination since birth.

Lee, cornered, confessed that he created a fictional child to get money from the country due to his financial difficulties. He had divorced his wife the same year.

Busan police are currently looking into whether Lee’s family were involved in the fraud.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)