Handonghun Orders Extradition of Suspect in 'New Zealand Bag Child Corpse' Case

A woman in her 40s, identified as Ms. A, who was arrested as a suspect in the 'child's body in a bag' case from New Zealand at Ulsan Jungbu Police Station last September, is leaving the building to be transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] A Korean-New Zealand woman, identified as the prime suspect in the 'child corpse in a bag case,' will be extradited to New Zealand.

On the 14th, Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, decided to extradite Ms. Lee (42, New Zealand nationality) to New Zealand and ordered the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office to carry out the extradition. The Ministry of Justice explained that this decision was made after comprehensively considering the Seoul High Court's approval for the extradition, the lack of investigative jurisdiction in South Korea, and national interests. Minister Han also ordered that the evidence seized during the investigation while securing Ms. Lee's custody be handed over to New Zealand as well.

The Ministry of Justice added, "Together with the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, we are coordinating schedules with New Zealand authorities and plan to extradite Ms. Lee to New Zealand within 30 days."

New Zealand police began investigating the case as a murder after the bodies of two children were found inside a travel bag sold at a warehouse auction last August. The local police identified Ms. Lee, known as the biological mother of the victims, as the prime suspect. Ms. Lee immigrated to New Zealand and acquired local citizenship. She later returned to South Korea and lived in hiding until she was arrested in Ulsan last September.

After receiving an extradition request from the New Zealand Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Justice found reasonable grounds to suspect that Ms. Lee committed the crime and ordered the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office to review the extradition. Accordingly, the Criminal Division 20 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Jeong Seon-jae, Kang Hyo-won, Kim Gwang-nam) approved the extradition on the 11th, considering the 'Consent to Extradition' submitted by Ms. Lee.

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