Korean murder suspect to be repatriated from New Zealand

Kim, right, appears at North Shore District Court on theft charges in Auckland, New Zealand in October. / Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

A Korean man, who flew to Auckland three months ago after allegedly killing three family members here, will be repatriated on Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Justice Tuesday, the man, surnamed Kim, 34, will arrive at Incheon International Airport at around 7 p.m.

The ministry plans to send some officials to New Zealand to smooth out the process, but it did not reveal details because of security concerns.

When Kim arrives in Korea, police will take him Yongin Dongbu Police Station.

Kim, a permanent resident of New Zealand, is suspected of killing his mother, stepfather and half-brother, 14, on Oct. 21 and stealing 120 million won ($112,000) from the mother’s bank account.

After the alleged killing, he flew to New Zealand, where he was arrested there for a crime he committed two years ago ― theft of household appliances. He was sentenced to two months in jail.

His wife, surnamed Jung, who flew to Auckland with him and two daughters, has returned to be arrested on charges of conspiring to orchestrate the killing.