Starting this year, the so-called "Koo Hara law," which prevents parents who did not support their minor children from inheriting, will be fully implemented.
On the 30th of last month, the Supreme Court announced major judicial system changes taking effect in the first half of next year, and that announcement included the so-called "Koo Hara law."
The "Koo Hara law" began to attract attention when Koo Ho-in, the brother of the late Koo Hara who died in 2019, petitioned for legislation in March 2020 saying, "The biological mother who abandoned young Koo Hara and ran away and who had no contact for 20 years is trying to take half of the inheritance. Please make sure my sister's death is not in vain."
In addition, Koo Ho-in filed a lawsuit seeking a division of inheritance against the biological mother who failed to fulfill her child-rearing obligations; the Gwangju Family Court recognized the contributing share of the father who raised the child and ruled the inheritance split 60:40. After that, from March 2020 the legislative petition for the 'Koo Hara law' was pursued and it was even proposed in the National Assembly.
Although the bill was discarded by expiration of term in the 20th and 21st National Assembly amid party conflicts, it passed the plenary session in the 22nd National Assembly last year about three months before the fifth anniversary of the deceased, and will be fully enforced from 2026.
Under the so-called "Koo Hara law," from Jan. 1, 2026, the direct ascendants of the decedent can be stripped of inheritance rights if they seriously violated their support obligations when the decedent was a minor, or committed a serious crime against the decedent or the decedent's spouse or direct descendants, or treated them with grossly unfair conduct. For actual loss of inheritance rights to occur, it must be requested by the decedent's will or by co-heirs, and the family court must accept it.
As the "Koo Hara law" begins to be implemented in earnest this year, on the 31st of last month Koo Ho-in posted on his personal SNS, "From tomorrow the Koo Hara law will finally be enforced!! Everyone, spend the remaining 25 years well, be healthy and have many good and happy things in 2026~!"
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]