New Zealand Mother on Trial for Murdering her Children and Leaving Their Bodies in Luggage
- Victor Nwoko
- Sep 8
- 2 min read
A trial began in New Zealand on Monday for a woman accused of murdering her two children and leaving their bodies hidden in suitcases for years before they were discovered in 2022.
Hakyung Lee, a New Zealand citizen originally from South Korea, is charged with killing her children, 6-year-old Minu Jo and 8-year-old Yuna Jo, in June 2018. She denies the charges. The remains were found inside luggage at an abandoned storage unit in Auckland after the contents were auctioned off when Lee stopped paying rental fees.
Prosecutors allege that Lee left the country shortly after the alleged killings, traveling to South Korea in 2018 and changing her name from Ji Eun Lee. She was arrested there in September 2022 and extradited to New Zealand two months later. South Korea’s Justice Ministry said it provided New Zealand with key evidence in the case.
A jury was empaneled on Monday at the High Court in Auckland for a trial expected to last four weeks, with prosecutors planning to call 40 witnesses. Lee did not enter a plea during the hearing, shaking her head when addressed through an interpreter. Justice Geoffrey Venning entered not guilty pleas on her behalf.
The cause of death has not been conclusively determined, though court documents indicate that prescription sleeping medication prescribed to Lee was found in the children’s remains. Other possible causes of death have not been ruled out.
Lee’s husband, the children’s father, died in 2017 after a period of poor health. Justice Venning told the jury they may need to consider Lee’s mental state at the time of the alleged crimes. The court granted her permission to observe the proceedings from another room due to the distressing nature of the evidence.
Lee is representing herself, though two standby lawyers have been appointed to assist her if necessary. The case has drawn widespread attention in both New Zealand and South Korea because of its disturbing details and international dimension.
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