A New Zealand mother has been found guilty of murdering her two young children whose bodies were discovered in suitcases inside a storage unit four years after their deaths.
The woman, identified as 43-year-old Hakyung Lee, was convicted by the High Court in Auckland on Tuesday. The court heard that in June 2018, Lee gave her children, eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, a fatal dose of prescription drugs. She then placed their bodies in two suitcases and left them in a storage facility in Auckland.
For four years, the children’s remains remained undetected until August 2022, when the luggage was opened in an abandoned unit. The shocking discovery drew attention both in New Zealand and abroad.
Shortly after the killings, Lee changed her name and left New Zealand for South Korea, where she stayed until authorities later traced her. Although she admitted to the deaths of her children, her legal team argued that she was not criminally responsible due to insanity.
The court, however, ruled against the defence, finding her guilty of murder. The case has raised concern and left the public disturbed by the manner in which the children’s lives were ended and concealed.