Grisly details in triple murder emerge as ‘Master Lion' pleads guilty

The Age

29-05-2025

Warning: Graphic content
A taekwondo master has pleaded guilty to murdering a seven-year-old boy he taught at his studio and a married couple in a brutal triple murder in Sydney's west.
Kyung Kwang Yoo, known to students at his dojang as 'Master Lion', first murdered Min Kyung 'Sue' Cho, 41, at Lion's Taekwondo Martial Arts Academy in North Parramatta on the evening of February 19 last year, while the boy waited in reception.
He then collected the young student and murdered him, before driving to the woman's Baulkham Hills home and killing her husband, Hyun Soo 'Steven' Cho, 39.
Yoo pleaded guilty to three counts of murder at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday morning via video link and will be sentenced later this year.
A clear motive for the killings wasn't outlined in the agreed facts obtained following Yoo's pleas.
Police identified Yoo as a serial liar who told friends, family and students a series of bizarre mistruths about his income, education and family deaths. Weeks before the murders, he told his wife he would be receiving a BMW – the same make as the Chos' car – from his secondary employer, a local high school. Police noted Yoo had an 'obsession' with luxury items, social status and wealth.
Court documents show that, on February 19, about 4.30pm, the boy arrived at the academy for his regular Monday night classes. He had been attending the martial arts academy for three years and was taking double classes with Yoo in preparation for his black belt assessment.
Sue Cho entered the academy about 6.20pm and was captured chatting with Yoo on CCTV, before following him through the classroom and into the storeroom where he strangled her.