A mother in New Zealand has been convicted of murdering her two children and concealing their remains in suitcases, in a case that received widespread international media coverage, reports RTE.
Hakyung Lee, who holds New Zealand citizenship and is originally from South Korea, was extradited from Seoul in 2022 following the discovery of her children’s remains in suitcases stored at a facility in south Auckland.
Yuna Jo and Minu Jo, aged eight and six, had been dead for approximately three to four years before their remains were uncovered, reports RTE.
The focus of Lee’s trial was not whether she killed her children—something she had admitted to—but whether she understood that her actions were morally wrong at the time.
In New Zealand, the legal system presumes defendants are sane unless the defence can prove otherwise, placing the burden of proving insanity on the defence.
Her legal team argued that she was not criminally responsible due to insanity, asserting that the death of her husband in 2017 had triggered a severe depressive episode, reports RTE.
A forensic psychiatrist testified on behalf of the defence, outlining Lee’s psychological condition—including depression, suicidal ideation, feelings of guilt, and a belief that killing her children was a morally justified act.
However, the prosecution maintained that Lee acted with full awareness, citing her efforts to hide the bodies and flee the country as indicators of her mental clarity, reports RTE.
“Ms Lee deliberately, and in sound mind, deliberately murdered Minu and Yuna and the right verdict is guilty of murder,” prosecutor Natalie Walker said in her closing argument, reports RTE.
Prosecutors also presented evidence that Lee had made calculated efforts to sever ties with her past, such as adopting a new identity and cutting contact with people in New Zealand before returning to South Korea.
The jury at Auckland High Court returned a guilty verdict after only two hours of deliberation, reports RTE.
During his instructions to the jury, Justice Geoffrey Venning said: “It’s natural to feel sympathy for the young children who were killed. It’s also natural to feel someone should be held responsible for their deaths. On the other hand, some of you may feel sympathy for the defendant,” he added, advising jurors to base their decision solely on the evidence presented in court, reports RTE.
Lee, who is 45, may first be held in a mental health institution under a compulsory treatment order before being transferred to prison.
She now faces a potential life sentence, with a minimum of ten years before being eligible for parole, as stipulated under New Zealand law, reports RTE.
Sentencing is scheduled to take place in November.
During the three-week trial, Lee sat between a translator and a guard, keeping her head lowered with her hair covering much of her face.
Although she was officially representing herself in the courtroom, she did not ask any questions or speak throughout the entire proceedings, reports RTE.
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