An Auckland mother who murdered her two children and hid their bodies in suitcases has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
Hakyung Lee, 45, was found guilty earlier this year of killing her children, eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, before concealing their bodies in luggage stored inside a South Auckland storage unit and leaving New Zealand for South Korea. The remains were discovered nearly four years later when the locker’s contents were sold in an online auction in August 2022, triggering a major police investigation.
At sentencing in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday, Justice Venning ruled that Lee’s mental health struggles following the death of her husband in 2017 contributed to the murders, noting she suffered from atypical depression and prolonged grief. He concluded Lee killed the children because she could not cope with caring for them alone, and ordered she also be treated as a special patient under mental health legislation.
Lee represented herself throughout the trial but followed proceedings remotely with the help of an interpreter. She sat silent in the dock during sentencing, her head bowed.
Emotional victim impact statements from family members highlighted the devastation caused by the killings. Lee’s mother, Choon Ja Lee, described her suffering as “a pain that cut through my bones,” saying she was ostracised by her church community and driven to thoughts of suicide. Yuna and Minu’s uncle, Jimmy Sei Wook Jo, said he carried overwhelming guilt and struggled to be around children of a similar age.
The Crown argued Lee acted deliberately, pointing to her efforts to hide the bodies and flee the country. Prosecutor Natalie Walker described the murders as a gross breach of trust, emphasising the children’s vulnerability after recently losing their father. The Crown sought a minimum term of 20 to 22 years.
Police welcomed the sentence, acknowledging the complexity of the investigation, which included securing Lee’s extradition from South Korea. Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Va’aelua praised the cooperation of South Korean authorities and Interpol, saying their assistance was vital in securing convictions.
Yuna and Minu would have been 16 and 13 today.
“Our thoughts are with the wider family today for the tragic loss of these two young children,” Detective Inspector Va’aelua said.
Why do we Kiwis want such abominations imported here?
Because “GDP” 👍👍
I do not agree with the sentence. This creature
1. Did not plee guilty.
2. Theses were children .
3. There are 2 dead children.
4. There is no remorse .
5. Detective staff had to view the dead children and are likely to suffer psychological damage.
6. The jury had to deal with this too.
Some crimes should still carry the death penalty.
I agree. I am in favour of the death penalty for these kinds of cases.