A Taekwondo instructor is facing murder charges after killing a seven-year-old student, and the student’s parents, before showing up at a hospital in Sydney, Australia with stab wounds on his own body, police announced.
Police reports suggest that the instructor, Kwang Kyung Yoo, owner of Lion’s Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy, allegedly murdered Min Cho, 41, and her son at the academy after a class on Monday, February 19, 2024.
He then drove the woman’s white BMW to the Cho residence, where he is accused of fatally stabbing the woman’s 39-year-old estranged husband, Steven Cho.
Initial investigations indicate that the mother and son were strangled. Following these events, Yoo sought medical attention for stab and slash wounds, claiming an assault in a supermarket parking lot. His arrest occurred at the hospital after authorities discovered the bodies of the Cho family. Despite undergoing surgery for his injuries, Yoo was informed of his arrest and the charges pending against him. The motive behind these acts has not been established, and the investigation into Yoo’s injuries and their origins continues. Yoo, known affectionately as Master Lion to his students, is expected to face three counts of murder.
Stunned parents have shared their disbelief, noting the martial arts teacher’s seemingly typical and composed demeanor as he supported his pupils mere hours before he is alleged to have tragically killed the family.
One parent, who chose to remain unnamed and whose child participated in one of Yoo’s final sessions that evening, expressed shock upon hearing the news of the accusations.”Master Lion awarded my child a green belt and a certificate at about 4:30 p.m. that Monday,” she recounted.
“He embraced my child and offered encouragement about the importance of regular attendance at classes.” The parent mentioned that her child had been a regular at the Taekwondo center, attending sessions three times a week for over a year. Throughout this period, she observed that Master Yoo consistently exemplified positive behavior, serving as an admirable mentor to the children.
He was known to escort students from a nearby school to the studio for their lessons and organized programs during school vacations. “He had a wonderful way with kids,” the parent noted. “Over the holidays, he would organize activities from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The children would engage in various activities, including playing with Nerf guns and expending energy, which was fantastic,” she added.
Yoo and the Cho family all originated from South Korea, leading investigators to probe for any deeper connections that might shed light on the incident. The Sydney police, under Homicide Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty, are working to uncover any additional relationships or motives.
Should Yoo be convicted, he faces severe legal consequences, with murder in New South Wales carrying a life sentence as the maximum penalty. The murder of a child entails a standard non-parole period of 25 years.
Authorities continue to appeal to the public for any information that might assist in piecing together the sequence of events leading to the murders in hopes of bringing clarity and justice to this devastating situation.
