The so-called “Goo Hara Act” is finally set to take effect next year.
On the 30th, the Supreme Court announced the major judicial制度 changes scheduled for the first half of 2026, which include the Goo Hara Act. The law drew public attention after the late Goo Hara’s older brother, Goo Ho-in, filed a legislative petition in March 2020, stating, “Our biological mother abandoned Goo Hara when she was young and disappeared for 20 years without contact, yet now seeks to claim half of her inheritance. Please ensure that my sister’s death was not in vain.” Goo Hara tragically passed away in 2019.
Following this, the Goo Hara Act was proposed during the 20th and 21st National Assemblies but was repeatedly scrapped upon the expiration of each term amid bipartisan political conflicts. Ultimately, during the 22nd National Assembly, the bill finally passed the plenary session.
Under the revised law, individuals who failed to fulfill their duty of support toward the decedent, or who committed serious crimes such as abuse, may be deemed to have lost their inheritance rights, thereby restricting the statutory heir’s right to inherit. In practice, the loss of inheritance rights must be requested by the decedent through a will or by co-heirs, and must be approved by a family court.
In relation to this issue, the Gwangju Family Court’s Second Family Division partially ruled in favor of Goo Ho-in in 2020 in a lawsuit he filed against the biological mother, Song (surname withheld), seeking a division of inheritance. Attorney Noh Jong-eon, who represents Goo Ho-in, stated, “The court determined that the Goo Hara family’s contribution ratio should be set at 20 percent, resulting in the estate being divided at a 6:4 ratio.”
Attorney Noh added, “In single-parent households where one parent raises a child alone, courts have traditionally not recognized contribution ratios. Considering all circumstances under the current legal framework, this decision to acknowledge such contributions represents progress beyond previous judicial positions, especially given that the Goo Hara Act had not yet been enacted at the time.”
The late Goo Hara passed away on November 24, 2019, at the age of 28, and was laid to rest at Bundang Sky Castle Memorial Park in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Family members and many others marked the anniversary of her passing on November 24.
The Goo Hara Act gained widespread attention after her death through the actions of her older brother. According to him, Goo Hara’s biological mother left home when Goo Hara was nine years old and had no contact for 20 years. After Goo Hara’s death, she reportedly appeared at the funeral accompanied by a lawyer in an attempt to claim her inheritance, drawing public criticism.
As a result, Goo Ho-in filed a lawsuit seeking the division of inheritance against the biological mother who failed to fulfill her parental duties. He also actively worked alongside Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo to push for the enactment of the Goo Hara Act, which centers on the principle that parents who abandoned their children should not be entitled to inherit their assets.
Written by Yoon Sang Geun
Translated by Lee So Yun
