Famed director Hong Sang Soo, 58, is in the news for a completely different reason this week after the recent announcement of actress Kim Min Hee's pregnancy.
It sparked a debate over whether the child will be able to inherit anything from him given that Hong remains legally married to his wife.
Legal experts are analyzing what this unprecedented case will mean both for the child and the pair as the situation unfolds.
The duo had been embroiled in an extramarital affair since 2015. Rumors say Kim, 42, could give birth this spring, which some claim has caused a stir in Hong's family.
On January 17, Attorney Park Kyung Nae spoke at the YTN Radio show "Attorney Jo In-seop's Counseling Center" on what the law considers to be family registration.
Park said as quoted by Star News: "In the past, before the Hoju system was abolished, to add a child to the father's family register, the father had to make a notification of birth. But under the Family Relation Registration Act, Kim Min Hee will be able to register the birth under her name nonetheless, even if the couple never ties the knot. However, his acknowledgment of the child will enable her to be listed on his family registry."
This brings in the question of succession. Attorney Kim Mi-ru, gave further details on the legal status of illegitimate children under South Korean law. Kim said, "Illegitimate children are children according to law, and they are recognized as direct descendants under Article 1 of the Civil Code, so it is provided that they inherit the order of inheritance."
He added, "So they are inherently deserving of a part of the inheritance."
Another rumor surrounding Hong in South Korea is whether or not he inherited a large amount of money from his recently deceased mother, Jeon Ok-soon, who was a respected member of the film industry. To which Kim Mi-ru responded as quoted by MyDaily, "If Hong Sang-soo's mother has a large fortune, then the lovechild would also inherit it."
They also touched on the inheritance share if Hong stayed with his wife. If his spouse gets 1.5 times the inheritance share, each child (legit or not) gets one share, Kim noted.
She added: "Even if Hong Sang-soo leaves behind a will stating to give all of his assets only to Kim Min Hee and their illegitimate child, only a reserved portion can be obtained by them."
Attorneys also speculated whether Hong's legal wife, in Hong's case, could sue Kim Min Hee for damages, of marital damages. "Oh yes, that's possible," replied Kim Mi-ru.
Others have disputed rumors about Hong's claimed 120 billion won ($83 million) fortune.
Now, according to YouTube commentator Lee Jin Ho as reported by News1, this number is inflated. One of the headlines earlier in August read: "If the youngest inherited 120 billion won, how much would the elder siblings have received?" he questioned. Lee said it is "absolutely false" that any money was passed down from Hong's wealthy family, which he grew up in.
