A picture of Hakyung Lee's mental state in the lead up to her young childrens' deaths has been painted at her murder trial

The 45-year-old's on trial at the High Court in Auckland accused of killing six-year-old Minu and eight-year-old Yuna Jo in 2018.

Their bodies were found in suitcases, after being stored in a storage unit for four years.

The Crown opened its case today, saying Hakyung Lee had murderous intent when she drugged her children with anti-depressants, put their bodies in storage, changed her identity, and fled to South Korea.

The defence says while Lee accepts she administered the drugs and dealt with the bodies, it was a botched suicide attempt, and she'd been driven to madness after her husband's death.