On Jan. 1, 2025, exactly at the stroke of midnight, three babies entered the world simultaneously, marking the start of the Year of the Blue Snake.
CHA University Ilsan Medical Center announced that three mothers gave birth to healthy baby boys at 12 a.m., all through natural delivery.
The first newborns of the year were nicknamed “Dingguli,” born to mother Koo Seul-ki, 35, and father Kang Woo-seok, 41; “Kkomuli,” born to mother Koo Ra-gyeom, 27, and father Lee Hyo-young, 38; and “Nikke,” born to mother Lee Seung-hyun, 33, and father Park Jun-soo, 36. The babies weighed 3.29 kilograms, 3.12 kilograms, and 3.1 kilograms, respectively.
For Dingguli’s parents, the baby is a long-awaited blessing after 10 years of marriage. Koo and Kang had undergone infertility treatments for more than two years before conceiving naturally. “Having Dingguli as the first baby of the new year in our 10th year of marriage makes this even more meaningful,” Kang said. Explaining the nickname, he added, “We called him ‘Dingguli’ to encourage him to roll around and stay comfortable in the womb until his time to be born.”
Lee Hyo-young, father of Kkomuli, expressed gratitude to his wife. “You endured so much marrying someone older than you, and you brought Kkomuli into the world safely. Let’s do our best to raise him well,” he said. He added, “I hope Kkomuli grows up healthy and freely pursues his dreams, and I will give him all the support he needs.”
Park Jun-soo, father of Nikke, described his feelings as “awe-inspiring and full of gratitude.” He said, “I don’t have any specific wishes for Nikke other than for him to grow up healthy, upright, and honest. I will do my best to make that happen.” To his wife, he said, “You’ve been the bravest and most amazing person I’ve ever seen today. Seung-hyun, you were incredible. I love you.”
Kim Ui-hyuk, an obstetrics professor at CHA University Ilsan Medical Center, shared his hopes for the newborns, saying, “Although these are challenging times, I hope every baby born today can bring new hope to South Korea.”