‘Goo Hara Act’ Passes Legislative Subcommittee, Aims to Exclude Neglectful Parents from Inheritance Rights

The so-called 'Goo Hara Act,' which aims to exclude parents who neglect their child-rearing duties from inheritance rights, has passed the Legislative and Judiciary Committee's subcommittee.

On the morning of the 27th, the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee held its first subcommittee meeting and approved the 'Goo Hara Act.' The bill, an amendment to the Civil Code, is expected to be passed in the full committee meeting later in the afternoon and subsequently in the plenary session on the 28th.

The 'Goo Hara Act' stipulates that if parents significantly violate their duty to support their minor children, or if the inheritor or their spouse commits a serious crime against the inheritor's direct descendants or treats them unfairly, it will be grounds for disqualification from inheritance rights.

The bill was named after the late Goo Hara, whose biological mother, after abandoning her during childhood, demanded half of her estate following her death in 2019. Goo Hara's older brother, Goo Ho-in, petitioned for the legislation to prevent this, stating, "The biological mother who abandoned young Goo Hara is trying to claim half of her inheritance after her death."

The 'Goo Hara Act' was previously proposed in the 20th National Assembly but was discarded due to the expiration of the term. However, in April, the Constitutional Court ruled that the compulsory inheritance share system, which mandates a certain percentage of inheritance to siblings regardless of the deceased's wishes, was unconstitutional. This ruling reignited efforts to pass the 'Goo Hara Act.'

Min-Kyung Lee, TenAsia Reporter 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr