Extradition review requested for suspect in New Zealand deaths

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Extradition review requested for suspect in New Zealand deaths

Published: 27 Oct. 2022, 18:21

A woman who denies killing two children in New Zealand leaves the Ulsan Jungbu Police Precinct on Sept. 15, to be transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul. [YONHAP]

The ministry of justice requested an extradition review for the woman who was arrested in Korea, believed to be the mother of two children found dead in suitcases in New Zealand in August, according to the ministry on Thursday.

The ministry said it instructed prosecutors to apply for the review at the Seoul High Court after receiving a formal request for extradition from New Zealand and concluding there was considerable reason to believe the suspect committed the crimes.

New Zealand police have been investigating the case since Aug. 11, when a family in South Auckland discovered human remains in suitcases they bought on an online auction. The two children are thought to have been between the ages of five and 10 at the time of their deaths, three to four years ago.

New Zealand police believed the mother of the two dead children was hiding in Korea and had asked Korean authorities to help find her.

On Sept. 15, the 42-year-old woman, who was born in Korea but has New Zealand citizenship, was found hiding in an apartment in Ulsan, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of Seoul.

She was arrested.

The court will have to decide whether or not to extradite the woman within two months.

Once the court rules in favor of the extradition, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon will need to make the final decision on whether to extradite her.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]