A South Korean-born New Zealand woman was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for murdering her two young children, whose bodies were found in suitcases in an abandoned storage locker more than three years ago, New Zealand media reported.
Hakyung Lee, 45, was convicted in September after admitting to killing her children, Yuna Jo, eight, and Minu Jo, six, in 2018, a year after their father died of cancer.
The court heard that Lee concealed the children’s bodies inside suitcases and stored them in a locker before leaving the country. The remains were discovered nearly four years later when the locker’s contents were sold in an online auction.
At her sentencing in Auckland, Lee was handed life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years. She sat quietly in the dock with her head bowed, a posture she maintained throughout her trial. Lee had represented herself during the proceedings, watching from a separate courtroom with the help of an interpreter.
Her standby lawyers argued that the death of her husband in 2017 triggered a “deep descent” into mental illness, causing Lee to irrationally believe the only solution was to kill her children and herself. The Crown, however, maintained that Lee understood her actions and knew they were wrong. Prosecutor Natalie Walker described her conduct, including hiding the bodies and moving to South Korea, as calculated.
The court also heard moving statements from family members. Lee’s mother, Choon Ja Lee, described the anguish she experienced upon learning of her grandchildren’s deaths, saying the pain felt like “someone were gouging out my chest.” She detailed the isolation and ostracism she faced from her church community and revealed she had contemplated suicide. Despite this, she expressed hope that her daughter might eventually be released on parole.
The children’s uncle, Jimmy Sei Wook Jo, described the tragedy as unimaginable and said he struggles to be around children the same age as Yuna and Minu, burdened by guilt and grief.
Justice Venning, who presided over the case, reviewed Lee’s background and mental health. He acknowledged that Lee was likely suffering from atypical depression and prolonged grief at the time of the killings. The judge concluded that Lee killed her children because she could not cope with the responsibilities of parenting following her husband’s death.
“You relied heavily on him during your marriage, you could not cope when he became seriously unwell, and perhaps you could not bear to have the children around as a constant reminder of your former happy life,” Justice Venning said.
Lee will be treated as a special patient under the Criminal Procedure Mentally Impaired Persons Act while serving her sentence.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
