“Goo Ha-ra Act”: Ensuring Inheritance Rights for Children Abandoned by Their Parents

The “Goo Ha-ra Act”(Amendment to Civil Law) was approved by the Legislation Review Subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee on May 7th.

The Goo Ha-ra Act states that an individual’s failure to support their minor children, commission of serious crimes, or mistreatment of their spouse or direct descendants can result in the revocation of their inheritance rights upon the death of said spouse or direct descendants.

Goo Ki-in, the brother of the late singer Goo Ha-ra who passed away in 2019, advocated for legislation known as the “Goo Ha-ra Act.”He argued that his biological mother, who had abandoned the young Goo Ha-ra and left their family, was now seeking to claim half of her inheritance after her death.

Despite being proposed by the 20th National Assembly, the Goo Hara Act was ultimately dismissed due to the expiration of its term without adequate deliberation. However, in June 2022, the Ministry of Justice introduced a similar bill to the National Assembly, which is expected to be passed in approximately two years.

The Goo Hara Act, also known as the “declaration system for loss of inheritance rights,”was ruled by the Constitutional Court last month to be passed. This amendment allows for the revocation of biological parents’ inheritance rights if they fail to fulfill their parental duties or engage in criminal activities, such as abuse.

The amendment will come into force on January 2026, provided that it is approved by both the Judiciary Committee and the National Assembly during their plenary sessions on the 28th.

In April 2020, a petition for the “Goo Ha-ra Act”gained over 100,000 signatures.

The source can be found at daum.