Forced Heirship (Reserved Share) Calculator
The reserved share (유류분) is the minimum share the law secures for heirs even when there is a will or lifetime gifts. Enter the heirs and the property to calculate the amount secured for each person.
Heirs
Based on the person who died (the decedent), enter the family members who were alive on the date of death.
Spouse
Only a legally registered spouse counts. A divorced spouse or a common-law (unregistered) spouse is not an heir.
Children
Adopted children and children born outside marriage who have been acknowledged are treated the same. If a child died before the decedent, choose 'Died earlier' and enter that child's children and spouse.
- Child 1
- Child 2
If there are children (or grandchildren inheriting in their place), parents and siblings do not become heirs.
Property
Enter amounts as of the date of death. Real estate is valued at its market price on that date.
Property the decedent owned at death. Property given away by will (bequests) is also included here.
Gifts received by heirs are included even if made long ago. Gifts received by non-heirs are included only if made within 1 year before death, but gifts made knowing they would harm the other heirs are included even if made more than 1 year before. The part given as compensation for special support, such as living with and caring for the decedent for a long time, or for increasing their property, may be excluded (Civil Act, Article 1008 proviso, as amended on March 17, 2026).
All debts remaining at the time of death.
Base estate for the reserved share
KRW 0
KRW 0 + KRW 0 − KRW 0
| Heir | Share | Reserved share ratio | Reserved share | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse | 3/7 | 1/2 | 3/14 | KRW 0 |
| Child 1 | 2/7 | 1/2 | 2/14(=1/7) | KRW 0 |
| Child 2 | 2/7 | 1/2 | 2/14(=1/7) | KRW 0 |
| Total reserved shares | KRW 0 | |||
How we calculated this
- 1Base estate for the reserved share = property left behind + property given during lifetime − debts
- 2Find the statutory inheritance shares according to the order of heirs (1st rank: children and other lineal descendants (with the spouse)). You can see the detailed division in the Inheritance Share Calculator.
- 3Multiply the statutory share by the reserved share ratio: 1/2 for children (grandchildren) and the spouse, and 1/3 for parents and other lineal ascendants (Civil Act, Article 1112).
- 4Reserved share = base estate × statutory inheritance share × reserved share ratio
Money you can actually recover (the shortfall)
The amounts above are the shares secured by law. The money you can actually claim is the shortfall left after subtracting the gifts and bequests the person already received and the share they receive by inheritance (minus the debts they bear). This requires examining the property each person received one by one, so it is not included in this calculator.
The 2024 Constitutional Court decision and later changes in the law
- Siblings' reserved shares have been abolished (unconstitutionality decision on April 25, 2024; Civil Act amendment on September 20, 2024).
- An heir who seriously breached their duty to support the decedent, or committed a serious crime against or grossly mistreated the decedent, can lose the right to inherit through a Family Court declaration of loss of inheritance rights, and then also receives no reserved share (Civil Act, Article 1004-2).
- Gifts and bequests received as compensation for special support or for increasing the decedent's property are not treated as shares received in advance, to the extent of that contribution (for inheritances that began on or after April 25, 2024).
- For inheritances that began on or after March 17, 2026, a shortfall in the reserved share is, as a rule, recovered in money rather than in the property itself (Civil Act, Article 1115).
A reserved share claim can no longer be made 1 year after learning that the inheritance began and that there was a gift or bequest to be recovered, or 10 years after the inheritance began (Civil Act, Article 1117).
- Reserved share
- The minimum share the law secures for heirs even when there is a will or gifts.
- Base estate for the reserved share
- The amount used as the basis for calculating the reserved share: the property left behind plus lifetime gifts, minus debts.
- Bequest
- Giving property by will.
- Statutory inheritance share
- The ratio set by law in which each heir divides the estate when there is no will.
Frequently asked questions
- Who can claim a reserved share?
- Children who are heirs (including grandchildren inheriting in their place) and the spouse have a reserved share of 1/2 of their statutory share, and parents and other lineal ascendants 1/3 (Civil Act, Article 1112). Siblings lost their reserved share through the Constitutional Court decision of April 25, 2024 and the amendment to the Civil Act on September 20, 2024, and collateral blood relatives within the fourth degree never had one.
- How is the reserved share calculated?
- The base estate for the reserved share (property left behind + property given during lifetime − debts) is multiplied by the statutory share and the reserved share ratio. The money you can actually claim is the shortfall after subtracting the gifts and bequests the person already received and the share they receive by inheritance.
- Are gifts made long ago included in the calculation?
- Gifts received by heirs are included even if made long ago. Gifts received by non-heirs are included only if made within 1 year before death, but gifts made knowing they would harm the other heirs are included even if made earlier. The part given as compensation for special support or for increasing the decedent's property may be excluded.
- What is the time limit for a reserved share claim?
- A claim can no longer be made 1 year after learning that the inheritance began and that there was a gift or bequest to be recovered, or 10 years after the inheritance began (Civil Act, Article 1117). The period is short, so talk to a lawyer as soon as you learn of the gift.
This is a reference calculation based on the ratios set by the Civil Act. Which gifts to include, how to value the property and how much of a shortfall can actually be recovered are decided differently in each case. The deadline for a claim is also short, so talk to a lawyer before making any decision.
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