Master Lion taekwondo instructor jailed for life in NSW triple murder over BMW
Kwang Hyung Yoo, who went by 'Master Lion,' received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for killing a mother, her husband, and their seven-year-old son in 2024 in Australia to obtain their car.
A taekwondo instructor who called himself “Master Lion” has been jailed for life without parole for murdering an entire family in New South Wales, including a seven-year-old boy, in what prosecutors described as a calculated crime aimed at stealing a BMW.
The killings occurred on February 19, 2024, at Lion's Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy in North Parramatta, a studio owned by Kwang Hyung Yoo. Court documents say Yoo killed Min Kyung Cho, 41, and her son BC, then killed her husband Hyun Soo Cho at a separate location after luring Ms Cho into a storeroom following back-to-back taekwondo classes that BC had just finished to prepare for his black belt assessment. The boy reportedly spent the next 90 minutes waiting for his mother to collect him as Yoo carried out the violence.
Evidence presented at sentencing showed Yoo had previously scouted the Cho family’s Baulkham Hills home and manipulated his wife with a lie about receiving a BMW from a school principal to secure the motive for the killings. CCTV footage and other records indicated Yoo drove the Cho family’s white BMW X5 to the Baulkham Hills residence after the killings and later moved the bodies inside the studio, where he also conducted a class after the initial murders.
During the sentencing, Justice Ian Harrison noted that Yoo’s actions began with deception—stoking aspirations of wealth and status—to justify violent acts. The court heard Yoo had fabrications about meetings with prominent figures, exaggerated credentials, and self-authored emails to himself that he showed to his wife to reassure her of his success. A psychologist’s report described Yoo as someone who told himself he had been a “good person” who was under financial strain, and who believed he deserved to “give his family whatever they want.” Yoo later expressed remorse in a letter to himself and to God, acknowledging his sin and his desire to change.
The court found that Yoo’s motive was not linked to any dispute or perceived grievance against the Cho family; rather, the killings were an attempt to obtain their vehicle. He did not attempt to conceal the crime beyond the initial cover of continuing his teaching duties, and he remained in possession of items connected to the victimized family, including Ms. Cho’s Apple Watch, which the judge noted could have allowed tracking if not discovered. The judges said the crimes were egregious breaches of trust, particularly given BC’s status as Yoo’s student and the expectation that he would be guided and cared for by his instructor.
In impact statements read to the court, Min Cho’s parents described a family broken by terror and loss, recounting the moment they realized the children and parents were not coming home. The statements underscored the lasting emotional cost for relatives and the broader community.
Yoo’s criminal history and troubling behavior were cited as factors in imposing the maximum possible sentence: life without the possibility of parole. The judge noted that Yoo had pleaded guilty at an early stage in the proceedings, but the severity and risk of future offenses remained too high to consider any form of release. The sentencing concluded with Yoo being remanded to prison to serve out the life term without a scheduled parole date, ensuring he remains in custody for the remainder of his life.