The mother and two sisters of LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo have appealed after losing their inheritance recovery lawsuit against him in the first trial.
According to legal sources on the 4th, the plaintiffs—including Koo's mother Kim Young-sik, his sister Koo Yeon-kyung (CEO of LG Welfare Foundation), and Koo Yeon-su—filed an appeal with the Seoul Western District Court. The second trial will be held at the Seoul High Court.
The 11th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Koo Kwang-hyun) dismissed the plaintiffs' claims on the 12th of last month. The court ruled that the inheritance distribution agreement was legally valid and that the alleged fraud by the plaintiffs was difficult to recognize.
The first trial court cited evidence that the plaintiffs received multiple briefings and participated in discussions regarding asset details and distribution methods during the inheritance negotiation process. The court noted that the financial management team provided detailed information, and children's shares were adjusted upward at Kim's request, indicating a substantive agreement process existed.
The three plaintiffs have argued that they "learned later that there was no will" from the late former Chairman Koo Bon-moo, and that the assets should be redistributed according to statutory inheritance ratios (1.5 for spouse to 1 for each child).