On the 27th, the so-called ‘Goo Hara Law’ (a civil code amendment) that excludes inheritance rights for parents who neglect their child-rearing duties passed the National Assembly’s Judiciary Committee.
In the afternoon, the Judiciary Committee approved the ‘Goo Hara Law’ in a plenary session. The bill is expected to be voted on in the full session on the 28th.
The ‘Goo Hara Law’ aims to add provisions for losing inheritance rights if a person severely neglects their duties towards a minor or commits serious crimes against the deceased or their direct descendants. It updates the current civil law, which only recognizes inheritance disqualification in limited cases, to include those who significantly fail in their duties to their direct descendants.
The law originated from a petition by Goo Hara’s older brother, Goo Ho-in, following the controversial demand by Goo Hara’s biological mother for half of her inheritance despite not fulfilling her child-rearing duties. The bill was named after Goo Hara, who had been abandoned by her mother at the age of 9, and her mother later sought inheritance after Goo Hara’s death in 2019.
Although the bill was introduced in the 20th National Assembly, it failed to progress due to the expiration of the term. In April, the Constitutional Court ruled unconstitutional a system that forced a certain percentage of inheritance to siblings against the deceased’s will, which accelerated the progress of the ‘Goo Hara Law.’
The bill made significant progress in the 21st National Assembly but was not passed in the full session due to disagreements on key issues. The Ministry of Justice reintroduced the bill in June 2022, and it has now passed the bill committee after two years.
Rep. Seo Young-ky of the Democratic Party, who spearheaded the bill, commented, “The ‘Goo Hara Law’ has finally passed after about six years. If it is approved in the plenary session tomorrow, I hope such issues will not occur again.”
Goo Hara, who was revealed posthumously to have been a key informant in uncovering corruption related to the Burning Sun incident, is remembered as a courageous woman. Her former group, KARA, has recently released new music featuring her voice, marking a comeback.
Source: Daum.
