On the afternoon of December 18, 2019, the lecture “The Characteristics and Challenges of Korea Inheritance Law” hosted by Civil, Commercial and Economic Law School of China University of Political Science and Law was held in the Houde 410 conference room on the Changping campus.

The lecture was given by Lee Sangwook, President of the Korean Family Law Society, President of the Korean Land Law Society, Vice President of the Korean Civil Law Society, and Professor of the Yeungnam University Law School. As an invited foreign lecturer of our school, Professor Lee will give a series of teaching and lecture activities in our school. The lecture was presided over by Professor Liu Jiaan, Director of the Civil Law Institute of China University of Political Science and Law. Professor Wu Rihuan, Director of the CUPL Korean Law Research Institute, acted as translator and discussant. Associate Professor Chen Han presented as a reviewer.

Professor Liu Jiaan chaired the work

At the beginning, Professor Liu Jiaan first briefed the theme of the lecture to the students. He pointed out that compared with property law such as property rights and claims, the inheritance law of each country has its own characteristics; as a member of the East Asian cultural circle, Korea has many things to share with China in terms of inheritance law.

Professor Lee Sangwook gave the lecture

Professor Wu Rihuan translated

Professor Lee Sangwook first told us what legal mind is by four lively and interesting examples, and advocated to break through our fixed ideas based on the uniqueness of the problem. Next, Professor Lee provided information on the evolution and subject of the Korean inheritance law, the meaning of inheritance, the scope of inherited property, the order of heirs, the qualification of heirs, the disqualification of inheritance, the share of inheritance, the contribution share, and distribution of special property and the acceptance and waiver of inheritance. He analyzed the succession of the Korean inheritance law compared to Japanese civil law and customary law, and the challenges that Korean inheritance law is currently facing.

Associate Professor Chen Han reviewed.

In the comment session, Associate Professor Chen Han proposed that there is no special portion system in China and Professor Lee Sangwook responded that thespecial portion system was also criticized and questioned in South Korea. The Korean special portion system originated from the special historical background that the entrepreneur donates all his property to society after his death in order to guarantee the rights and interests of his wife and daughter. Associate Professor Chen Han also talked about the order of succession is that an ascendant follows that of a descendant in South Korea. Compared with China, although China has a tradition of respecting the elderly, in practical cases, the truth that parents are excluded from heirs, is worth thinking about.

During the questioning part, the students raised questions and opinions on the legal inheritance share of spouses, the order of heirs, and the acceptance and waiver ofinheritance in the Korean Inheritance Law. Professor Lee Sangwook answered everyone’s questions. The reviewer and the host also gave their opinions to the students’ questions based on the perspective of Chinese law. Finally, Professor Liu Jiaan summarized the lecture and expressed his thanks to Professor Lee Sangwook and the two reviewers.

The lecture “The Characteristics and Challenges of Korea Inheritance Law” came to a successful end.

Group photo