South Korean court rules K-pop star Goo Hara's estranged mother gets 40pc of late singer's inheritance
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — After waiting for nearly nine-months, a South Korean family court ruled that K-pop star Goo Hara's inheritance be split 6:4 between her surviving family members.
K-pop news portal Soompi reported that the Gwangju Family Court had ordered Goo's brother Ho-in be given 60 per cent while Goo's estranged mother gets 40 percent of the late singer's inheritance.
Ho-in, had in March, filed a case against their mother after she claimed 50 per cent of his sister's inheritance.
She claimed to be the late singer’s direct kin, despite being absent for most of their lives and giving up parental rights and custody.
The siblings' father had given his share of the inheritance to Ho-in.
Under Korean law, if someone dies without leaving a spouse or children, their parents are able to receive their inheritance even if they did not personally raise them, except in extremely rare cases such as murder or the falsification of a will.
“This meant parents who abandoned their children can return and claim their inheritance after their death.”
Noh Jong Eon, the lawyer representing Ho In, said they were looking into appealing the decision.
“This is a very unusual judgment, so it requires thought,” Noh told Maeil business newspaper.
It was previously reported that Ho-in and Hara were left under the care of their grandmother when they were young, while their father worked odd jobs all over the country to earn money for the family.
Ho-in had said Hara was left traumatised after they were abandoned by their mother.
A former member of girl group Kara, Hara was found dead at her home in Seoul on November 24 last year.
Hara launched her solo career after performing with Kara from 2008 to 2015.
She had just completed a tour of Japan with the latest release of her single before her death.
