What is the Goo Hara Act? Exploring the revised inheritance law of South Korea

On August 27, 2024, Sports Chosun reported that the "Goo Hara Act" (a civil law amendment) was passed by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's bill subcommittee. It forbids parents who have disregarded their parental responsibilities towards their child from inheriting property.

Furthermore, the bill was reportedly voted on at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's plenary session on the same day in the afternoon and will be voted on August 28. For the unversed, the late K-pop idol Goo Hara died in November 2019 as a result of s*icide.

Sports Chosun reported that her mother abandoned her when Hara was just a child. However, Goo Hara's estranged mother returned and demanded half of her inheritance after her death. As a result, Goo Hara's brother filed a legislative petition in court to prohibit their mother's illegal claims.

According to the Goo Hara Act, there will be a declaration of loss of inheritance rights if there is a major breach of the responsibility and support towards a minor. The law also sees it as a significant criminal offense if there's harsh treatment towards the heir, spouse, or direct descendant of the heir.

Disclaimer: If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the nearest authorities or NGO.

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The Goo Hara Act strips off inheritance rights of negligent parents, spouses, or siblings

The Goo Hara Act was not thoroughly addressed during its proposal in the 20th National Assembly. It was eventually abandoned as its tenure came to an end. The act gathered steam in April 2024 when the Constitutional Court declared the reserved portion system, which assigns siblings an involuntary part of the deceased's assets regardless of their wishes, unconstitutional.

This means that, by default, siblings inherited everything the deceased left behind. The Constitutional Court found it to be not in accordance with the political constitution.

Hence, the new Goo Hara Act was passed during the 21st National Assembly. It will determine the legitimate circumstances and relationship ties of the parties with the deceased before the inheritance is passed on. Any negligent behavior of parents, siblings, and spouse would strip their rights of the inheritance.

Meanwhile, ABC News reported in 2019 that the late K-pop idol from KARA, Goo Hara, ended her life at the age of 28. She previously showed severe symptoms of depression and had also attempted s*icide earlier.

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In other news, the late K-pop idol Sulli ended her life in October 2019. Reportedly, she and Goo Hara were close friends, and Goo Hara passed away within a month.