'They have no home, no other family': Wife of top Melbourne chef revealed as mother accused of attempted murder of kids in Chadstone house fire
Hyun Ju Ahn, 37, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after a horror blaze engulfed a two-storey property on Terrigal Street in Chadstone on the morning of May 21, the Herald Sun reports.
It has now been revealed she is the wife of Jae Bang, the executive chef at top Melbourne restaurant Freyja.
The woman along with two girls, aged seven and eight at the time of the incident, were conveyed to hospital in a critical condition after firefighters forced entry into the home and found them unconscious on the first floor.
Mr Bang was out of town when the incident unfolded with the Arson and Explosives Squad determining a gas cylinder had exploded inside the home which set it alight.
"We believe [the fire] was from a gas cylinder … how that's come to explode is a matter for the investigation proper to unpack," Detective Inspector Chris Murray said.
"Such an incident, where we have [an] explosion and fire, can be absolutely devastating."
Following investigations, Ms Ahn was charged last week with two counts of attempt to commit murder and two counts of damage property by fire to endanger life.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family cover ''many expenses'' with their home now lost to the tragic fire.
"Chef Jae Bang (Freyja, Melbourne) lost his home to a fire while he was away. His wife and two daughters were sleeping when it happened, and they were unconscious when the firefighters rescued them," a post on GoFundMe reads.
"They were seriously injured and have had extensive stays in the hospital.
"The family is recovering, but they have no home, no other family in the area, and have many expenses to cover from the fire rescue and hospital stays."
The fundraiser has collated more than $20,000 so far.
Ms Ahn is currently recovering in hospital with burns to her hands, while the two girls were initially taken to hospital in a critical condition.
Her husband, Mr Bang who is well known in the industry made his start in Seoul as a teenage dishy and trailblazed across the globe from San Sebastián to New York City to Stavanger – and now Melbourne.
Previously Mr Bang said raising children while working in a restaurant is "a never-ending challenge, and it's not easy to manage".
"Running a restaurant demands a significant amount of time, so my days off are crucial for dedicating my attention solely to my kids," he said.
'We prioritise spending quality time with each other. We do a lot of activities that I'm passionate about, such as camping in the wilderness, foraging in the mountains during peak season, skiing, rock climbing and, more recently, free diving.'
A neighbour told the Herald Sun she remembered the family as being happy but largely keeping to themselves.
Ms Ahn faced Melbourne Magistrates' Court last Friday.
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