Wife’s frantic call in taekwondo murder case
New details have emerged from police about a taekwondo instructor who is expected to be charged with the murder of three people in Sydney’s north-west.
The wife of a taekwondo instructor was left desperately calling her husband for answers after he had allegedly brutally murdered three people, police claim.
Kwang Kyung Yoo, known by his students as Master Lion, is set to be charged with murder after he is alleged to have fatally strangled 41-year-old Min Cho and a seven-year-old child inside his taekwondo studio before fatally stabbing 39-year-old husband Steven Cho.
It can now be revealed Mr Yoo, 49, has a family of his own, with the wife left calling Mr Yoo for answers after he was admitted to hospital. She is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Mr Yoo underwent surgery overnight after admitting himself to hospital with “slash wounds” to his chest, arms and stomach on Monday night, telling police he was attacked in a shopping centre car park in Parramatta, police say.
However, police allege Mr Yoo acquired the wounds after killing the young couple and child with detectives now investigating if the tragedy was a love triangle gone tragically wrong.
In videos posted to Facebook, Mr Yoo can be seen filming his wife, son and small dog as the family walk their Kellyville neighbourhood and play soccer in the local park.
“Having a precious time with my treasures on [this] beautiful Sunday afternoon,” he captioned one video.
In another video, Mr Yoo can be seen sparring with his then-six-year-old son in 2022.
“Having a most great time with my Son. My Son was asking me for a little training today.
He was pretty strong for a six-year-old boy,” he captioned the video.
“Pretty solid punches and kicks and a few tricky moves. [Knocked] me down a couple of times.”
On Wednesday morning, NSW Police Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said police allege the child had just finished up a lesson with Mr Yoo at the taekwondo studio when the instructor fatally assaulted Ms Cho and the seven-year-old.
Police then allege Mr Yoo travelled to Baulkham Hills and had a confrontation with Ms Cho’s husband.
“As a result of that confrontation, he has been stabbed to death,” Mr Doherty said.
Mr Doherty said the couple are originally from South Korea, with the consulate notified and assisting NSW Police.
“What we can say is [the three alleged victims] were living together in Baulkham Hills … and the seven-year-old regularly attended the martial arts centre for taekwondo centre,” Mr Doherty said.
“We are still establishing what other connections or what other relationships may have been or what not have been.
“There was no warnings, from what we have gathered so far. It was out of the blue. It wasn’t something that was forewarned or planned.”
Mr Yoo is now under police guard at Westmead Hospital and is expected to be charged with three counts of murder later today.
Police have urged anyone who may have seen the white BMW on Monday to contact police.
Parents said they were sent a “weird text” by the academy on Tuesday morning informing them lessons were cancelled because the academy’s chief instructor, Master Yoo, was in hospital.
The cryptic text announced that “pick-up at 3:10pm for afterschool activities is no longer possible”.
“Due to injuries resulting from a car accident this morning Master is currently in the hospital,” the text read.
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