Will Kim Min-hee’s Child Inherit Hong Sang-soo’s Alleged $100 Million Fortune?

Extramarital Child's Inheritance Rights Sparks Legal Discussion

As news of director Hong Sang-soo (64) and actress Kim Min-hee’s (42) pregnancy circulates, legal experts have suggested that their soon-to-be-born child could have a claim to Hong’s inheritance.

On January 17, legal experts Kim Mi-ru and Park Kyung-na appeared on YTN Radio's Counseling Center with Attorney Jo In-seop to discuss the implications of Hong and Kim’s situation. Attorney Kim stated, “Just like in Jung Woo-sung’s case, Hong’s extramarital child would be eligible to inherit, as extramarital children are still recognized as legal heirs under Civil Law Article 1.”

Hong is rumored to have inherited a fortune of ₩120 billion from his late mother, Jeon Ok-soon, a renowned figure in the Korean film industry and the first female producer in public arts. She also ran a publishing business in Japan, adding to the family wealth.

Attorney Jo noted, “If this inheritance rumor is true, the extramarital child could indeed have legal rights to Hong’s assets.”

Legal Procedures and Inheritance Distribution

For the child to gain inheritance rights, a legal recognition process called Inji (acknowledgment of paternity) must occur. If Hong acknowledges the child, they can be registered on his family registry, according to Attorney Park. “While Hong’s legal spouse will still be listed as his wife in the registry, the extramarital child will also appear as his offspring,” Park explained.

However, given that Hong already has one child with his legal wife, inheritance shares could differ. Attorney Kim added, “Typically, the spouse receives 1.5 shares, while children receive one share each. However, various factors may influence these proportions.”

The Impact of a Will

If Hong leaves a will allocating his entire estate to Kim Min-hee and their child, his legal spouse may only claim a legitime, which is half of their statutory share. This would significantly reduce the portion the spouse is entitled to inherit.

A Scandalous History

Hong and Kim have been in a public affair for nine years. Despite filing for divorce, Hong lost the case in 2019, leaving him legally bound to his current spouse. The pregnancy and potential inheritance claims add another layer of complexity to this long-standing controversy.

Jung Woo-sung Scandal: Context

Jung Woo-sung’s situation is brought up as a legal precedent to highlight how inheritance laws apply to extramarital children. In his case, there were discussions around whether an extramarital child would be eligible to inherit, underlining that children born outside of marriage still hold legal rights to their parent’s assets in many jurisdictions, including South Korea.

Actor Jung Woo-sung has publicly addressed the controversy surrounding his extramarital child with model Moon Ga-bi. During the 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards, he apologized for causing concern and disappointment, stating, "I will accept and carry all the criticism directed at me. As a father, I will fulfill my responsibilities to my son to the very end."

In summary, Jung Woo-sung has committed to taking full responsibility for his child, emphasizing his role as a father, while opting not to enter into marriage with the child's mother.

Jung Woo-sung's acknowledgment of his child suggests that he will provide financial support and may allocate part of his wealth to the child. Under South Korean law, once paternity is acknowledged, the child becomes a legal heir with the right to inherit from their parent’s estate, regardless of the marital status of the parents.