Hakyung Lee Guilty of Killing Two Children

A jury at the Auckland High Court found Hakyung Lee guilty of murdering her two children, eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, in June 2018; their remains were later found stuffed in suitcases at a disused south Auckland storage unit in August 2022. Prosecutors say Lee killed the children, then fled to South Korea, changed her name and took steps to conceal the crime; she was extradited from Seoul after the suitcases were discovered. Lee’s lawyers conceded she had killed the children but argued she was not guilty by reason of insanity, presenting psychiatric evidence of severe depression, suicidal thoughts and a belief she was doing the morally right thing after her husband’s death. The jury rejected the insanity defence after about two hours of deliberation, with the Crown pointing to concealment and flight as evidence she knew her actions were wrong. Justice Geoffrey Venning ordered Lee remain in custody and set sentencing for November 26; murder in New Zealand carries a mandatory life sentence and judges must set at least 10 years before parole eligibility.