In the latest ruling, a family court has awarded Kpop idol late Goo Hara's mother 40 percent of her inheritance despite approval of the Goo Hara Act. Goo Hara's brother Goo Ho In had started a petition against their mother getting any of the singer's inheritance as the mother had abandoned them as children.
According to the Gwangju Family Court verdict, 60 percent of Goo Hara's inheritance will go to her father's side including her brother and rest 40 per cent will go to her mother. Goo Ho In had requested a trial in the inheritance case after their mother claimed 50 percent of Goo Hara's properties soon after the funeral of the late singer.
Request For Trial
Ho In had filed a case stating that the mother was absent for most of their lives and had given up parental rights and custody. The trial was requested as the current law states that if a child dies without a spouse or children their inheritance goes to parents, even if they did not personally raise them. The only exception is murder charge on parent or the falsification of a will.
Goo Hara committed suicide on Nov. 24, 2019, and her mother who was never seen with the singer made her appearance at the funeral house. The court stated that considering Ho In's argument, it decided to split the properties in 6:4 proportion than 5:5 between father and mother as the mother had not personally raised Goo Hara.
The judgment is also considered as an advanced verdict. Noh Jong Eon, lawyer representing Goo Ho In said: "The judgment of this court, which recognized the contribution under the current legal system, taking into account various circumstances, this is an advanced judgment from the standpoint of the existing court under the current legal system." This verdict is a step forward under the system of current law, he said.
Further Appeal, Goo Hara Act
The lawyer also told that they are considering the option of further appeal in the case. But he will go by the family's decision. So far it is not known if Goo Ho In will go ahead with further appeal or settle with the current verdict.
It can be remembered that Goo Hara was under depression and had tried self harm. She had mentioned in her diary that she misses her mother and hates the fact that she is not with her. In the diary, there is no mention of Goo Hara's mother trying to meet her when she was alive.
But during a television interview after Goo Hara's death, the mother had told that she had met Hara occasionally and that she was sorry for not being there for her. Goo Ho In had expressed disappointment when their mother suddenly started appearing in front of media and demanding inheritance when in fact, she had abandoned Hara when she was just four-years-old.
This prompted him to start a petition for passing of Goo Hara Act to restrict the mother from claiming Hara's inheritance. South Korea's National Assembly had approved the passage of the Goo Hara Act in November. Though it has got official approval, it has not been implemented yet.
The Goo Hara Act will restrict the survivor's pension or inheritance for family members, mainly parents who have nit raised their children personally. The Act will also provide more reasons for disqualifications for claiming the inheritance.
