Insurance Firm Wins Claims Suit

An insurance firm was found not liable for a claim made by an insurance holder, identified by his family name Kim, in a case involving a genetic illness he showed symptoms of after purchasing the policy.

The Seoul Eastern District Court ruled Sunday that Kim's claim was valid, considering he was not aware of his illness when he bought the plan.

"Heungkuk Fire and Marine, however, is not obligated to make payment, considering that fact that his illness - Marfan's Syndrome - often gets worse without the knowledge of the patient," the court said. "It is obvious that Kim was already suffering from the illness when he bought a policy."

The court ruled that this freed the insurer from covering Kim's illness.

Kim bought a policy in July 2008 which would cover him for medical expenses from hospitalizations of one day or more. At the time, he told the insurer that he hadn't received any medical treatment for the previous three months.

However, a month later, he was diagnosed with Marfan's Syndrome, a genetic disorder, and underwent major surgery.