A former Auckland resident who was extradited from South Korea in 2022 to face charges for the alleged killings of her primary school-aged children appeared in court today for what was supposed to be the first day of her double-murder trial.
But instead of jury selection and opening addresses, the lawyers for Hakyung Lee, 43, were granted what is likely to be a lengthy postponement.
The reasons for the adjournment cannot be revealed for legal reasons, but it can be reported that Justice Rebecca Edwards made the decision based on fair trial issues.
Lee, who looked down in her lap with her hair covering her face for the duration of today’s appearance in the High Court at Auckland, was remanded back into custody. A hearing has been scheduled for next month to determine a new trial date.
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Police descended upon a South Auckland residence in August 2022 after a family that had purchased items from an abandoned storage unit at auction made an unsettling discovery upon opening two suitcases. Inside were the remains of siblings Minu Jo, believed to have been 6 at the time of death, and Yuna Jo, thought to be 8.
Months later, Lee was charged with having killed both children in Manukau sometime between June 23 and June 27 2018, meaning they would have been dead for over four years at the time of the discovery. She was taken into custody in South Korea at the request of New Zealand law enforcement and arrived in Auckland in November that year, pleading not guilty.
The defendant was born in Korea but obtained New Zealand citizenship after moving here. Immigration records suggest she returned to Korea in 2018.
Lee has maintained her innocence throughout the already lengthy legal process.
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“I didn’t do it, it’s the truth,” she said during a court outburst last April.
Lee appeared to wear the same beige overcoat in the High Court at Auckland this morning as she did in the Manukau District Court dock during her first appearance nearly a year-and-a-half ago.
While a specific new trial date has not yet been set, it is unlikely to happen this year.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
