"I Came as a Mourners, So I Won't Pay the Funeral Costs"... Eldest Son Who Inherited the Entire Estate Showed Up at His Mother's Funeral in Casual Clothes [Law Story]

[Financial News] An eldest son who inherited his father's assets alone reportedly clashed with his family over the issue of caring for his mother, cut off contact for years, and then appeared at her funeral claiming he was there not as a family member but as a mourner, refusing to share the funeral expenses.

On the 31st of last month, JTBC's "Scandal Supervisor" featured the story of a tipster identified as A, who said he had recently held his grandmother's funeral.
According to A, his father, the youngest of five siblings, had lived with his grandfather and grandmother when he was young. After the grandfather died, the eldest uncle inherited a small piece of land.
The brothers agreed, and the eldest uncle took their grandmother in, saying, "I will take care of our mother from now on." Even after that, the siblings, including A's family, continued to visit her.
But a few years ago, as the grandmother visibly grew weaker, the family worried that she was spending long hours alone at home and seemed neglected.
In the end, the aunt stepped in and said she would personally care for the grandmother. A major argument broke out with the eldest uncle during that process. He then cut off contact with the family, saying, "You made me look like the bad guy and took Grandma away." Efforts by the siblings to repair the relationship, including calls and visits, reportedly came to nothing.
Then the grandmother passed away. A's father informed the eldest uncle of the death, and the uncle appeared before the family for the first time in years.
As soon as he entered the funeral hall, the eldest uncle reportedly snapped, "You said you were taking good care of her, so why did she die?" The family at the funeral was left stunned.
That was not the end of the shock. The eldest uncle did not even dress properly as chief mourner and came to the funeral hall in dark casual clothes. He did not cry in front of the grandmother's portrait, nor did he greet his siblings.
When the discussion turned to funeral expenses, the eldest uncle reportedly said, "We did not come here as family, but as mourners," adding that if he had not been contacted, he would not have come to the funeral at all.
The bereaved family was furious at his attitude, saying he had inherited the estate alone but acted like a stranger when it was time to shoulder responsibility.

Lawyer Son Su-ho, who heard the story, explained that "condolence money is meant both to comfort the bereaved family and to ease the burden of funeral expenses." He added, "Funeral costs should first be covered by the condolence money, and if there is a shortfall, the remaining amount should, in principle, be shared according to each heir's inheritance share." He also noted that "whether to pursue this legally is a decision for the family."
Lawyer Jihoon Park advised that "if a parent was well cared for, a contribution share may be recognized, but it is not easy to prove the extent of support, so it is necessary to review the inheritance issue with the help of an expert."
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter