Taekwondo instructor charged with murder of man, woman and child

Martial arts instructor Kwang Kyung Yoo has been charged with the murders of a couple and a young child whose bodies were discovered in Sydney’s northwest this week.

The bodies of Min Cho, 41, and a seven-year-old boy were discovered at Lion’s Taekwondo Studio in North Parramatta, where the child was a student, about 12.30pm on Tuesday.

Police believe they were fatally assaulted following the adult evening taekwondo class, sometime between 5.30pm and 6.30pm.

“The woman and boy appeared to have died as a result of injuries inflicted during an assault,” police said in a statement on Wednesday night.

Police will allege Mr Yoo, who was known to his students as Master Lion, left the bodies inside his studio before driving Ms Cho’s white BMW to her Baulkham Hills house.

Police will allege the 49-year-old confronted the dead woman’s husband, 39-year-old Steven Cho, and stabbed him “several” times.

NSW Police found Mr Cho’s body at the Watkins Rd home at about 10.30am on Tuesday, prompting an urgent investigation which led to the discovery of the bodies of his wife and child two hours later.

Mr Yoo was arrested while in a hospital bed at Westmead Hospital, where he was being treated for serious slash wounds to his chest, arms, and stomach.

He told hospital staff he had been attacked in a supermarket car park on Church St, but police allege he sustained the injuries while committing murder.

“The man was kept under police guard while he was treated for his injuries, before being charged with three counts of murder about 9pm today,” police said in a statement.

A bedside hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Earlier, Homicide Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty described the deaths as a tragedy.

“It’s not only tragic in circumstances but the consequences were cataclysmic,” he said.

“They’ve had their lives taken away in what we allege was a murder.”

Neighbours told NCA NewsWire they were “shocked” and “scared” by the alleged murders, one of which took place in their backyard.

Baulkham Hills resident Saniu Awais, whose house looks directly at the Cho family house, said she didn’t hear or see anything on Monday night when Mr Cho was allegedly murdered.

“That’s what’s so shocking. How did he get here?” she said, noting that the neighbourhood was known for being “very safe”.

Ms Awais said she had “never heard of this” happening in the area during the nearly four years she has lived there.

“It’s very sad and shocking,” she said.

“(The neighbours) all want a kind of closure. We all want to know what happened. Because otherwise you’re just scared for your kids.”

Another neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was concerned about his family’s safety after learning Mr Cho had been found dead in the house nearby his own.

“I have daughters, I feel a little bit scared,” he said.

“I feel scared that somebody can come and go like this without anybody noticing.”

Business owners near the taekwondo studio in North Parramatta were also left reeling by the gruesome discovery of the bodies of Ms Cho and the seven-year-old child.

The martial arts academy is only 80m from St Monica’s Primary School, where NCA NewsWire understands Mr Yoo used to collect his young students to walk them to the studio for afternoon classes.

One business owner, who asked not to be identified, said she was “concerned” about the alleged murders happening so close to the school.

“It’s just an eerie feeling,” she said.

She said the street is normally very tranquil and during school holidays, “it’s got to be the quietest street in Sydney”.

The shop owner said she was still struggling to come to grips with how the alleged grisly murder could have occurred nearby.

“It seems very isolated and bizarre,” she said.

“That’s why it’s so eerie, it does not make sense.”

Police were still conducting interviews with locals on Wednesday, while the martial arts studio remained cordoned off from the public by police tape.

Forensics teams were seen scouring the site while wearing hazmat suits.

Anyone with information about the movements of the BMW or the incident is urged to contact police.