Amendments to the Korean Civil Code on Disinheritance established by the Ministry of Justice

Is it fair for parents who did not raise their children to inherit property after their children’s death? In response to this question, the Ministry of Justice of Korea submitted a civil law amendment bill to the National Assembly that introduces a system of disinheritance. This article introduces and reviews such civil law amendments. The main conclusions are as follows: First, in terms of legal stability, it is not appropriate to include violation of duty to support as a reason for disqualification from inheritance. It is also not appropriate for inheritance disqualification to be treated as a preliminary issue in civil litigation. However, termination of parental rights can be recognized as a reason for disqualification from inheritance. Second, when depriving an heir of his inheritance rights, it is desirable to have it go through a court trial. If it is allowed to unilaterally deprive the heir of the inheritance right by the will of the heir, there is a risk that the decedent will arbitrarily deprive the heir of the inheritance right. Third, If the deceased did not express his/her intention to deprive the heir of his/her inheritance rights during his/her lifetime, such heir should not be deprived of the right to inheritance even if the reasons for loss of the right to inheritance are met. If the level of disqualification from inheritance has not been reached, the will of the deceased is necessary to justify the result of Disinheritance.