LG Family Inheritance Dispute Enters Second Round as Three Women Appeal First Trial Loss
by Kwon Jaehee
Published 04 Mar.2026 19:37(KST)
Updated 05 Mar.2026 07:22(KST)
Koo Bon-moo’s Wife and Two Daughters File Notice of Appeal with Seoul Western District Court
Legal Battle Over 2 Trillion-Won Estate Expected to Continue
The legal dispute over the inheritance of the late Koo Bon-moo, former Chairman of LG Group, is set to continue in the appellate court.
According to legal sources on March 4, Koo's spouse, Kim Youngsik, and his two daughters-Koo Yeonkyung, President of the LG Welfare Foundation, and Koo Yeonsu-filed an appeal with the Seoul Western District Court on this day.
Previously, on February 12, the first-instance court ruled against the plaintiffs in the inheritance recovery lawsuit they filed against Koo Kwangmo, Chairman of LG Group.
The court determined that the property division agreement had been lawfully executed and that the agreement was reached according to the wishes left by the deceased. The court also found that there was no deception or fraudulent conduct during the drafting process. Since the three family members were informed of the agreement and expressed their intentions regarding each asset, the court deemed it legitimate for the financial management team to affix their seal by proxy.
The estate left by the late Koo, who passed away in May 2018, is estimated at around 2 trillion won, including an 11.28% stake in LG. Of this, Chairman Koo Kwangmo inherited an 8.76% stake, while the three women inherited a portion of LG shares (2.01% for Koo Yeonkyung and 0.51% for Koo Yeonsu) as well as personal assets such as financial investment products, real estate, and artworks, totaling approximately 500 billion won.
With the bereaved family appealing the first-instance verdict, the inheritance dispute among the family of a major conglomerate owner will now be revisited in the appellate court.
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