Two Child Bodies Found in Bag in New Zealand, Woman Presumed to Be Mother Staying in Korea

Local Police Request Cooperation from Korean Police

New Zealand police investigators are examining the scene in Auckland where a child's body was found inside a bag on the 11th (local time). On the 18th, New Zealand police authorities announced that two children's bodies were discovered in two bags purchased by a family through an online warehouse auction. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] In connection with the case where two children's bodies were found inside a bag purchased through an online auction in New Zealand, the local police have requested cooperation from the Korean police.

According to the National Police Agency on the 22nd, the local police identified a woman presumed to be a family member of the deceased children as being in Korea and requested the Korean police to locate her through Interpol.

The National Police Agency confirmed that the woman has an entry record into Korea in 2018 but no exit record. She is a Korean-New Zealander who lost her Korean nationality and acquired New Zealand nationality, and reportedly has a long-term residence record at the address related to the bag where the bodies were found.

However, to accurately identify her residence, legal grounds such as a New Zealand court warrant are required. Therefore, it is known that the Korean police responded by asking for supplementary documents regarding the cooperation request.

Since the woman is a Korean-New Zealander and not a Korean national, the Korean police do not have the authority to investigate. However, cooperation with New Zealand can proceed under the international judicial cooperation treaty.

Earlier, on the 11th (local time), a family living in the southern region of Auckland, New Zealand, was shocked when two bodies, believed to be those of children, were found in a travel bag purchased through an online auction. The bodies, estimated to be of children aged between 5 and 10 at the time of death, were believed to have been stored in the bag for at least 3 to 4 years.

The New Zealand police are investigating with a focus on the possibility of a violent crime.