• A mother in New Zealand has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering her two children.
• Lee's children, aged six and eight, were found in suitcases after being hidden for years.
• The judge noted the calculated nature of her actions despite her mental health struggles.
• Hakyung Lee will serve a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
• The case has drawn attention for its tragic circumstances and the impact on the families involved.

Hakyung Lee, a South Korean-born New Zealand citizen, was sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Geoffrey Venning for the murders of her two young children. Lee, who had been convicted earlier this year of killing eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo in 2018, demonstrated little reaction during the sentencing hearing in Auckland on November 26, 2023. The High Court ruled that she would serve a minimum non-parole period of 17 years, emphasizing the vulnerability of the children at the time of their deaths, according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.

The murders were committed shortly after the death of Lee's husband from cancer in 2017, and it was revealed that she administered an overdose of prescription medication to her children before placing their bodies in suitcases. These suitcases were only discovered in 2022 by a family who had purchased a storage unit at auction. Lee, who had changed her name and fled to South Korea, was extradited to New Zealand in late 2022 to face trial, according to South China Morning Post and India Times.

During the trial, Lee's defense argued that her mental health had severely deteriorated, claiming she believed that the best way for her family to escape their pain was by dying together. However, the prosecution maintained that Lee understood the moral implications of her actions, especially given the steps she took to conceal the bodies and her flight from justice. Judge Venning characterized her actions as deliberate, stating that although her mental health issues were significant, they did not absolve her of responsibility, according to BBC and CBS News.

Family members expressed their anguish during the sentencing, with Lee's mother questioning why she did not choose to end her own life instead of taking her children's lives. Her statements reflected the deep emotional toll the case has taken on both families. As the judicial system in New Zealand typically mandates life sentences for murder, Lee's case highlights both the tragedy of familial loss and the complex issues surrounding mental health and culpability in criminal cases, as reported by Reuters and India Times.