Evil mother Hakyung Lee jailed for life for murdering children and hiding them in suitcase

Hakyung Lee stands in the dock at the High Court in Auckland, New Zealand, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Lawrence Smith/Stuff Pool Photo via AP) (Image: AP)

A monstrous New Zealand mum who murdered her two children and hid their bodies in suitcases has been sentenced to a minimum of 17 years behind bars. Hakyung Lee was handed down the sentence for the murders of her children Minu Jo, six, and Yuna Jo, eight.

The 'calculated' mother will serve time for killing her children in 2018 and concealing them in suitcases until they were discovered in 2022. The children's remains were only found after Lee defaulted on rental payments for an Auckland storage unit due to financial troubles, leading to the contents being auctioned online.

On Wednesday, November 25, a judge decreed that Lee will spend at least 17 years in prison, with her sentence commencing in a secure psychiatric facility, under New Zealand's mandatory mental health treatment law.

Justice Geoffrey Venning informed Hakyung Lee during the High Court hearing in Auckland that she must return to prison when she is deemed fit enough. In September, Lee was convicted of the murders as a jury dismissed a defence of insanity.

On Wednesday, November 25, her legal team argued for a reduced sentence due to her mental illness, stating their client felt remorse for her crimes and had been isolated and threatened in prison. However, the judge stated that despite Lee's evident depression, her actions were 'deliberate and calculated', reports The Mirror.

The court was told that Lee killed the children by administering them antidepressant medication. Solicitor Lorraine Smith said that Lee's mental health deteriorated following the death of her husband.

Following the murders, Lee fled to South Korea and adopted a new identity. Born in South Korea, she is a New Zealand citizen who previously went by the name Ji Eun Lee.

The children's uncle, Jimmy Sei Wook Jo, prepared a statement for court, stating: "I never imagined such a profound tragedy would ever befall our family.

Hakyung Lee in court (Image: Getty)

"I feel like I failed to look after my niece and nephew," he confessed, as reported by a local news outlet.

Lee's mother, Choon Ja Lee, also prepared a statement read out by the prosecutor: "It felt like a pain that cut through my bones, or as if someone was gouging out my chest.

"I do not know when this pain and suffering might heal, but I often think I may carry it with me until the day I die."

Det. Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Va'aelua released a statement saying: "Yuna and Minu would have been 16 and 13 today. Our thoughts are with the wider family today for the tragic loss of these two young children."

In New Zealand, the sentence for murder is an automatic life sentence, with judges setting a minimum of 10 years before a prisoner can apply for parole. Following Wednesday's hearing, New Zealand police acknowledged the assistance of South Korean authorities in the investigation.