Late LG Chairman's Widow Loses 1st Trial in Suit to Annul Adoption of Chairman Koo Kwang-mo

A court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Kim Young-shik, the wife of the late former LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo and his adoptive mother, seeking to annul the adoption of LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo.

Judge Lee Eun-joo of the 6th Family Division of the Seoul Family Court dismissed the plaintiff's claim in the adoption annulment lawsuit filed by Kim against Chairman Koo.

Kim filed the adoption lawsuit in November 2024 amid a legal battle with Chairman Koo over the inheritance of the late former chairman's assets.

Chairman Koo is the biological son of Koo Bon-neung, chairman of Heesung Group and younger brother of the late former Chairman Koo Bon-moo.

However, after losing his only son in an accident, the late former Chairman Koo Bon-moo adopted his nephew, Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, in 2004 to succeed him in leading the group.

This was in accordance with LG Group's tradition of eldest-son succession.

Following the passing of the late former Chairman Koo Bon-moo in 2018, Chairman Koo inherited most of the late chairman's shares in LG Corp. and became the largest shareholder.

However, in 2023, Kim Young-shik, the wife of the late former chairman, and her two daughters, Koo Yeon-kyung, head of the LG Welfare Foundation, and Koo Yeon-su, filed an inheritance recovery lawsuit demanding a redivision of the inherited assets. While the first trial was underway in November of the following year, Kim filed the judicial adoption annulment lawsuit against Chairman Koo.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.