Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.
Court imposes financial onus on partners not parents
By Kim Bo-eun
The Supreme Court has ruled that spouses have greater financial responsibility than their parents to support their partners.
The court overturned a high court decision regarding a suit filed by a mother-in-law surnamed Jung demanding that her daughter-in-law Heo pay back part of 164 million won in medical expenses she paid for her son.
The Seoul High Court earlier ruled in favor of Heo saying that she didn’t have to pay the medical bill because she doesn’t have any more responsibility for the payment than the mother-in-law.
However, the presiding judge of the top court said spouses have primary responsibility for financially supporting their spouses, with parents taking a secondary role.
"If parents support their adult children by paying medical expenses, they can claim the expenditure from their child’s spouse," he said.
The case was sent back to the high court. The 67-year-old Jung spent some 164 million won in medical expenses on her 44-year-old son Ahn who was in a vegetative state for three years due to a brain injury caused by a car accident in 2006.
Insurance covered 80 million won of the bill, and Jung claimed the remaining 84 million won from her 41-year-old daughter-in-law.