A South Korean couple let their baby starve to death after becoming obsessed with raising a virtual daughter online, police said.

Father Kim Yoo-chul, 41, and mother Choi Mi-sun, 25, have been charged with child abuse and neglect following the discovery of their severely dehydrated and malnourished three-month-old daughter, London's Daily Mail reported.

The couple left their baby at home while they spent 12-hour stints at internet cafes in the city of Suwon.

Police said the two were addicted to a multi-role playing game called and were raising a virtual daughter there.

The game, similar to , allows players to build a life in an online world, which includes choosing a job, interacting with other users and earning an extra avatar to nurture once they reach a certain level, the Daily Mail said.