Court rejects LG chief's adoptive mother's petition to end adoption

In a recent decision, a Seoul family court declined to grant a petition filed by Kim Young-sik, widow of LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo and adoptive mother of Koo Kwang-mo. The court decided not to dissolve their adoptive relationship, refusing to grant judicial dissolution of the adoption. The court did not provide specific reasons for its decision during the hearing that took place in November 2024.

The petition was initiated by Kim amid a separate inheritance dispute with Koo Kwang-mo over assets left by her deceased husband. Koo Kwang-mo, the biological son of Heesung Group chairman Koo Bon-neung, was adopted by Koo Bon-moo at the age of 26 in 2004 following the loss of his only son in an accident. This adoption was seen as a crucial step towards the succession of LG Group, which adheres to a firstborn-son succession rule.

After Koo Bon-moo's passing in 2018, Koo Kwang-mo became the conglomerate's largest shareholder by inheriting most of his adoptive father's shares. The inheritance dispute between Kim and Koo Kwang-mo began in 2023, with Kim and her two daughters being at the center of the conflict.