Who inherits without a will in South Korea?
In South Korea the spouse inherits one and a half times a child's share alongside the children or the parents.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
A spouse and children survive
The spouse inherits together with the children, and the spouse's share is one and a half times that of each child.
A spouse survives, but no children
With no children, the spouse inherits together with the parents or higher ancestors, again at one and a half times each share. With neither, the spouse takes everything.
No spouse: who comes next
Children first; then the parents or higher ancestors; then the siblings; then relatives up to the fourth degree. If none, the estate goes to the state.
A partner who is not married
An unmarried partner has no right to inherit without a will.
What a will cannot take away
The children and the spouse have a reserved share of half of the legal share; the parents and siblings, a third.
If the person or the property is abroad
Korea applies the law of the person's nationality to the estate.
Understand the legal system first
South Korea belongs to the Civil law family. Succession law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.
Read the South Korea legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Who owns what in a marriage in South Korea? →
Official sources
Take it further
The family and property rules of a European country in one PDF, with questions for a local lawyer.
A complete, editable will in Word and PDF.
Keep property out of probate, with clear fill-in fields.
How trusts work and why courts enforce them.
A short PDF reference book with self-check questions.
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s inheritance guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.
