On the 27th, the so-called “Goo Hara Law” (an amendment to the Civil Code) that excludes inheritance rights for parents who neglect their child-rearing duties was approved by 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 plenary session on the 28th.
The “Goo Hara Law” aims to add provisions for the loss of inheritance rights if a person grossly neglects their duties to a minor or commits serious crimes against the deceased or his or her direct descendants. It updates the current civil law, which recognizes ineligibility to inherit only 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 Goo Hara’s biological mother’s controversial request for half of her inheritance despite failing to fulfill her child-rearing duties. The bill is named after Goo Hara, who was abandoned by her mother at age 9, and her mother later requested the inheritance after Goo Hara’s death in 2019.
Although the bill was introduced to the 20th National Assembly, it failed to advance due to the expiration of the deadline. In April, the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional a system that imposed a certain percentage of inheritance on siblings against the will of the deceased, which accelerated the progress of the “Goo Hara law.”
The bill made significant progress in the 21st National Assembly, but failed to pass the plenary session due to disagreements on key issues. The Ministry of Justice resubmitted the bill in June 2022, and it has now been approved by the Bill Committee after two years.
Representative 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 tomorrow’s plenary session, I hope such problems will not occur again.”
Goo Hara, who was posthumously revealed as a key informant in uncovering corruption related to the Burning Sun incident, is remembered as a brave woman. Her former group, KARA, recently released new music featuring her voice, marking a comeback.
Source: Daum.
