NZ resident accused of killing mother, stepfather and half-brother to be extradited to South Korea

A New Zealand resident suspected of the murders of his mother, stepfather and 14-year-old half-brother is about to be extradited back to South Korea.

Sungkwan Kim will be extradited on Thursday after he appeared in court in November last year on a historic theft charge.

An application for his arrest - filed by the Crown on behalf of South Korean officials - was granted.

Lawyer: Korean triple murder suspect agrees to extradition

The 34-year-old has never opposed extradition and the South Korean Ministry of Justice confirmed to RNZ that Kim would arrive back in his home country on Thursday.

South Korean officials have been sent to New Zealand to help with the extradition process.

New Zealand and South Korea have an extradition agreement which was signed in 2001.

Kim has been awaiting extradition in Mt Eden prison since December 8 after he consented to surrender at his extradition hearing.

A warrant was issued for Kim's arrest on October 26 after the bodies of his mother, stepfather and 14-year-old half brother were found with multiple stab wounds on October 21.

Kim arrived in New Zealand on October 24 as a New Zealand resident and was arrested soon after.

He was also wanted in New Zealand for a historic theft and was in December sentenced to two months in jail after admitting stealing whiteware from an Auckland flat in which he lived in 2015.

- NZN