Prosecutors are seeking a murder conviction against the adoptive mother of a 16-month-old girl known as Jeong-in, who died last October after allegedly suffering from months of abuse.

At an initial hearing for the mother's trial on Wednesday, the prosecution requested to change the main charge from child abuse resulting in death to murder with the original charge secondary.

The state investigative agency had previously only applied the initial charge as it remained unclear what type of force was used to cause the toddler's death from abdominal injuries.

Amid a public outcry for the prosecution to seek the murder charge following revelations that Jeong-in suffered a severe injury to her internal organs, the agency conducted a review to determine the cause of death.

The prosecution has reportedly decided to apply the murder charge after hours of consultations with forensic pathologists.