JTBC 〈Lee Gyu-yeon's Spotlight TV〉 Broadcast on July 23, 2020 | Representative Attorney Noh Jong-eon of Jonjae Law Firm

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On July 23, 2020, JTBC 〈Lee Gyu-yeon's Spotlight TV〉 aired a program that looked at two cases being pursued together by the family of the late Goo Hara — the criminal trial of Choi Jong-bum and the petition to divide inherited property filed against her biological mother. Representative Attorney Noh Jong-eon of Jonjae Law Firm appeared for an interview.

How the Decision to File the Lawsuit Was Made

Goo Ho-in, the older brother of the late Goo Hara, did not originally intend to file a lawsuit against their biological mother. Even though she was a biological mother who had left the family, he tried to resolve the matter without a lawsuit while showing as much courtesy as possible. However, seeing the mother's behavior at the funeral hall and during the real-estate handling process led him to decide to sue her.

The biological mother suddenly came to the funeral hall and insisted on wearing the chief mourner's attire, and she was recording audio and video during the dispute. As she left, she told Goo Ho-in, “Don't do anything you'll regret.” After the funeral procession ended, when they contacted her to discuss selling the property, the person who appeared instead of the biological mother was a lawyer.

What Goo Hara's Diary Reveals

In the diary of Goo Hara, which was shown on the broadcast, there were records showing that she had suffered from depression for a long time because of the trauma of being abandoned by her biological mother when she was young. During the course of depression treatment, and at the suggestion of medical staff, Goo Hara first tried to find her biological mother, only to learn that the mother, whom she had thought had gone far away, was actually living nearby and had never once come to see her. The biological mother's behavior of not arranging an intimate meeting but instead creating a gathering where she brought all the relatives and showed them off left even deeper wounds in Goo Hara's heart.

The diary contained many entries questioning whether she herself was someone who deserved love. The expert identified an emotional shift: at first she tried to comfort herself, but gradually became afraid, and pointed to the breakdown of the family as the cause.

Justice Must Take Precedence Over Legal Stability

Attorney Noh Jong-eon stated his position on the need for the Goo Hara Act and the opposing arguments on the broadcast. The grounds for disqualification of an heir were enacted in an era when family support among family members was taken for granted in a large-family society, and 60 years have passed since then. It was Attorney Noh Jong-eon's view that, as society changes, the law must also develop to match reality.

Regarding arguments opposing revisions to the law on the grounds of legal stability, he countered, **“The law must create a mutually complementary relationship by considering not only legal stability but also justice and purposefulness.”** And he concluded as follows.

“When there are contradictions and conflicts among justice, purposefulness, and legal stability, harmonious adjustment should be the principle, but ultimately the ideal of justice must have the highest priority. This is because legal stability can be truly maintained only when the law aligns with goodness and justice, and with the people's universal sense of justice and common sense.”

Afterward — the Goo Hara Act Became Reality

At the time of this broadcast, the Goo Hara Act had been reintroduced in the 21st National Assembly immediately after being discarded by the 20th National Assembly. It later suffered another rejection in the 21st National Assembly, but in the 22nd National Assembly it passed the plenary session on August 28, 2024 (284 in favor, 0 against, 2 abstentions). Revised Civil Act Article 1004-2 allows a court to deprive a lineal ascendant who has seriously violated the duty of support of inheritance rights, and it has been in effect since January 1, 2026.

The hope Attorney Noh Jong-eon expressed on the broadcast — “May the pain experienced by the late Goo Hara and her family never happen again” — found its place in the law after six years.