The Auckland High Court has become the stage for a harrowing trial that has captured the attention of both New Zealand and South Korea. On September 8, 2025, Hakyung Lee, a Korean-born New Zealand citizen in her mid-forties, faced charges of murdering her two young children—Minu Jo, aged 6, and Yuna Jo, aged 8—in a case that has left both nations reeling. The trial, expected to last four weeks, promises to unearth a series of painful events that began over seven years ago and have since become the subject of intense media scrutiny and public debate.
The story first shocked New Zealanders in August 2022, when the remains of the two children were discovered by an unsuspecting Auckland family. The family, having purchased the contents of an abandoned storage locker at an online auction, stumbled upon the suitcases containing the bodies. According to Radio New Zealand and The Independent, the children had been dead for years, their bodies hidden away as their mother left the country and began a new life under a different name.
Police believe the murders occurred in June or July 2018, roughly a year after the death of Lee's husband. Shortly after the suspected killings, Lee traveled to South Korea, changed her name from Ji Eun Lee, and attempted to sever ties with her past. For years, the mystery of the children's disappearance remained unsolved—until financial difficulties caught up with Lee in 2022. She stopped paying the rental fees for the Auckland storage unit, leading to its contents being auctioned off and the grim discovery being made.
Lee's arrest followed swiftly. In September 2022, South Korean authorities detained her, and after a formal extradition request from New Zealand, she consented in writing to return to Auckland to face trial. The South Korean Justice Ministry confirmed that it had provided New Zealand with unspecified "important evidence" in the case, underscoring the international cooperation that has characterized the investigation from the start, as reported by The Independent.
On the morning of September 8, 2025, Lee appeared before Justice Geoffrey Venning at the Auckland High Court. The courtroom was tense as she declined to answer the judge's repeated question: "Guilty or not guilty?" Instead, she simply shook her head, remaining silent even when prompted through an interpreter. Justice Venning interpreted her silence as a not guilty plea and entered it on her behalf, allowing the trial to proceed. The judge informed the jury that an insanity defence was expected to be presented, setting the stage for a complex legal battle over Lee's mental state at the time of the alleged crimes.
Lee has elected to represent herself during the trial—a rare and daunting choice, especially in a case of such gravity. Two experienced defence lawyers, Lorraine Smith and Chris Wilkinson-Smith, are serving as standby counsel, ready to assist her if she requests it. According to Stuff and Radio New Zealand, Lee has also been granted permission to view the proceedings from another room in the courthouse, given the distressing nature of the evidence expected to be presented.
The prosecution is set to open its case on September 9, 2025, and has signaled its intention to call as many as 40 witnesses over the course of the four-week trial. The prosecution’s narrative will likely focus on the timeline of the children’s deaths, Lee’s movements before and after the alleged murders, and the forensic evidence uncovered in the years since the bodies were discovered.
One of the most perplexing aspects of the case is the cause of death. According to court documents cited by Radio New Zealand, forensic investigators detected prescription sleeping medication—prescribed to Lee—in the bodies of both children. However, the precise cause of death remains undetermined, and other possibilities have not been ruled out. This ambiguity has only added to the emotional complexity of the trial, as jurors must grapple with not only the facts but also the unanswered questions that linger over the case.
The events leading up to the discovery of the children’s remains have been pieced together through a combination of police work and international collaboration. After Lee’s husband died in 2017, she reportedly struggled to cope, culminating in the alleged murders of her children the following year. Her subsequent relocation to South Korea and name change appeared to be an attempt to escape her past, but the unpaid storage fees and resulting auction ultimately brought the case back into the public eye.
Justice Venning has acknowledged the distressing nature of the trial for Lee, allowing her the option to watch from a separate room. This unusual accommodation reflects the psychological toll that such proceedings can take, especially when the accused is representing herself and facing the possibility of an insanity defence. The trial’s outcome may hinge on the jury’s assessment of Lee’s mental health at the time of the alleged crimes—a challenging task given the years that have passed and the limited information available about her state of mind in 2018.
The trial has also raised broader questions about the systems in place for monitoring vulnerable families and the challenges of cross-border criminal investigations. The involvement of both New Zealand and South Korean authorities demonstrates the complexity of pursuing justice when suspects and evidence are spread across different jurisdictions. South Korea’s provision of key evidence and its cooperation in Lee’s extradition have been crucial in bringing the case to trial, as highlighted by The Independent.
For many in New Zealand, the case has become a grim reminder of the hidden tragedies that can unfold behind closed doors. The discovery of the children’s bodies in such a public and unexpected manner has left a lasting impact on the community, prompting calls for greater vigilance and support for at-risk families. The trial, with its focus on mental health, family breakdown, and international law, has resonated far beyond the courtroom, sparking conversations about how such tragedies can be prevented in the future.
As the trial unfolds, all eyes will be on the Auckland High Court. The prosecution’s opening statements, the testimony of 40 witnesses, and the presentation of forensic and psychological evidence are expected to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Minu Jo and Yuna Jo. Yet, given the unanswered questions and the complexities of the case, it remains to be seen whether the trial will bring closure for the families involved or for the wider public.
For now, the story of Hakyung Lee and her children stands as a sobering testament to the enduring impact of loss, the search for justice, and the challenges of uncovering the truth when so much remains hidden.