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Taekwondo 'Master Lion' Jailed for Life for Family Slaying
21 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Taekwondo instructor sentenced to life without parole for triple murder.
- Murders committed to steal a BMW, fueled by financial desperation.
- Victims included a seven-year-old student and his parents.
A taekwondo instructor, Kwang Hyung Yoo, 51, has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for the murders of a family of three, including his seven-year-old student. The court heard that Yoo committed these acts on February 19, 2024, motivated by a desire to steal the family's BMW amidst significant financial strain.
Evidence presented showed Yoo repeatedly surveilled the Cho family's home in the weeks prior. He murdered the mother and son at his martial arts academy in North Parramatta, then drove their BMW to the family's residence in Baulkham Hills to kill the father. Yoo sustained injuries during the confrontation with the father.
During sentencing, Justice Ian Harrison highlighted the extreme nature of the crimes, particularly the breach of trust involving the student. Yoo, who had accumulated substantial debts, had lied to his wife about receiving a BMW, further illustrating his desperate financial situation and the fabricated reality he projected.
