Actress Jun Won-ju, 87, says she gifted half her assets to prevent inheritance dispute
Version 2: Later reports added that Jun said she divided gold and cash equally among her two sons and daughters-in-law, gave differing asset figures of about 4 billion won and about 5 billion won, and included her health comments and earlier appearances.
In short
Actress Jun Won-ju, 87, said she gifted half of her assets to her two sons and their wives in advance so they would not fight over her estate, speaking on MBC’s “PD수첩” episode “2026 Inheritance War: Time of the Family Left Behind,” which aired on Oct. 6. She said she divided gold and cash equally but kept the other half, saying that giving everything away would make her children lazy and distant. Outlets gave differing asset figures, with Chosun Ilbo reporting assets in the 4 billion won range and Newsis, Seoul Economic Daily and Maeil Business reporting about 5 billion won.
Read the full story 3 min read
Actress Jun Won-ju, 87, said she gifted half of her assets to her children in advance to prevent a dispute over her estate, speaking on the MBC current-affairs program “PD수첩,” whose episode “2026 Inheritance War: Time of the Family Left Behind” aired on Oct. 6, according to Hankook Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, Newsis, Seoul Economic Daily, Chosun Ilbo and Maeil Business. Outlets gave differing figures for her wealth: Chosun Ilbo said she holds assets in the 4 billion won range, while Newsis, Seoul Economic Daily and Maeil Business reported about 5 billion won, and a Newsis headline put the figure at 50 billion won before the article described her as an asset holder worth about 50 billion won in a 50 billion-range formulation. The documents do not reconcile the figures. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
Maeil Business reported that Jun said she “divided it all up already” and “gave it out before they could fight,” sitting her two sons and daughters-in-law down and splitting the assets equally. Newsis reported that she distributed gold and cash evenly among her two sons and daughters-in-law. She said she did not hand over everything, telling the program that “if I give it all away, they get lazy and grow distant from me,” and that she must “keep half and hold on to it to speak up,” adding that holding a money envelope is what brings her children to visit often, according to Newsis, Maeil Business and Seoul Economic Daily. Hankook Ilbo reported she manages the remaining assets herself in preparation for what happens after her death. [ 1 , 4 , 7 , 8 ]
Newsis and Maeil Business reported that Jun had disclosed an early dementia diagnosis in April, and that on the program she said she has not caught a cold and expects to live to 100. Maeil Business also reported that she had said on KBS2’s “사장님 귀는 당나귀 귀” in September 2025 that she worried her two sons would fight over money if she died without a will, and that she is known as an entertainment-industry investment expert who bought SK Hynix shares at around 20,000 won each in early 2011 and still holds them. Chosun Ilbo reported that she discussed inheritance and gifting with fellow actor Choi Ju-bong on the program, and that her appearance followed a dispute over YouTube appearance fees. [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
The program placed her case within a reported increase in inheritance disputes. Hankook Ilbo reported that 3,612 claims for the division of inherited property were filed in courts nationwide in 2025, about five times the figure of roughly a decade earlier, and described cases including a woman in her 70s, identified by the pseudonym Jeong Su-yeon, who died before her divorce was final and whose legal spouse claimed more than 70% of the estate, and nine siblings in a rural area of North Gyeongsang Province fighting over 2,558 pyeong of land their father left. It also described a mother and son in Gyeonggi Province who received notice to vacate a three-story building two months after the father’s death because three daughters from his previous marriage had inherited it; the son’s side filed a suit to void the will, citing the father’s alcoholic dementia. [ 1 ]
Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Economic Daily reported that fewer than 1% of the roughly 350,000 people who die each year leave a notarized will, and cited the program’s projection that assets held by people with declining cognitive function, described as “dementia money,” would grow from 154 trillion won in 2023 to 488 trillion won by 2050. Seoul Economic Daily reported that debate over revising the civil law began in earnest in 2026, with calls for the inheritance system to reflect changed family forms, and said the producers framed the program as an examination of what families need to avoid ending up as adversaries in court. [ 1 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The coverage links one family’s pre-death planning to a reported rise in inheritance disputes in an aging society. Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Economic Daily reported that fewer than 1% of the roughly 350,000 people who die each year leave a notarized will, and that assets held by people with declining cognitive function are projected to grow from 154 trillion won in 2023 to 488 trillion won by 2050. Seoul Economic Daily reported that debate over revising the civil law began in earnest in 2026, with calls for the inheritance system to fit changed family forms.
Key facts
- Actress Jun Won-ju, 87, said on MBC’s “PD수첩” that she gifted half of her assets to her children before her death to prevent a dispute over her estate. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- She said she divided gold and cash equally among her two sons and daughters-in-law. [ 7 , 8 ]
- She said she kept the other half, arguing that giving everything away in advance would make children lazy and keep them away, and that holding money keeps them visiting. [ 1 , 4 , 7 , 8 ]
- The episode, titled “2026 Inheritance War: Time of the Family Left Behind,” aired on Oct. 6 at 22:20. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Asset figures differed by outlet: Chosun Ilbo reported assets in the 4 billion won range, while Newsis, Seoul Economic Daily and Maeil Business reported about 5 billion won. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reported that 3,612 claims for the division of inherited property were filed in courts nationwide in 2025, about five times the figure of roughly a decade earlier. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Economic Daily reported that fewer than 1% of the roughly 350,000 people who die each year leave a notarized will, and that “dementia money” is projected to grow from 154 trillion won in 2023 to 488 trillion won by 2050. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Newsis and Maeil Business reported that Jun disclosed an early dementia diagnosis in April and said she expects to live to 100. [ 7 , 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Jun Won-ju said she gifted half of her assets in advance to prevent a dispute among her children after her death. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- She said she divided gifts of gold and cash equally among her two sons and daughters-in-law. [ 7 , 8 ]
- She said she kept half of her assets, arguing that handing over everything would make her children lazy and distant and that holding money keeps them close. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 ]
- The remarks were made on the MBC program “PD수첩” episode that aired on Oct. 6. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
Still unclear
- The exact value of Jun Won-ju’s assets. Chosun Ilbo described assets in the 40 billion won range while Newsis, Seoul Economic Daily and Maeil Business put them at about 50 billion won; the documents do not reconcile the figures.
- How and when the gifts were structured. The documents describe gold and cash divided equally but do not say when the gifts were made or what share of each asset class was transferred.
- Whether the gifted portion amounts to exactly half of her estate. The claim rests on Jun’s own account in the broadcast, with no independent confirmation in the documents.
- The source and methodology behind the reported inheritance statistics. Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Economic Daily attribute the figures to the program, which cited no court or government source in the documents.
- The scope of the entertainment-industry controversy mentioned alongside her appearance. Only a Chosun Ilbo headline and summary mention a dispute over YouTube appearance fees, without details.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Hankook Ilbo publishes an account of the upcoming MBC “PD수첩” episode, including Jun Won-ju’s statement that she gifted half her assets in advance. [ 1 ]
- Seoul Shinmun reports Jun, 87, saying that giving everything in advance would mean she could not receive filial care. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports in its headline that Jun gifted half of 5 billion won in assets to her children. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily reports the broadcast time and that Jun holds about 5 billion won in stocks, gold and real estate, with half already gifted. [ 4 ]
- The “PD수첩” episode “2026 Inheritance War: Time of the Family Left Behind” airs on MBC. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports that Jun, described as holding assets in the 4 billion won range, gifted assets in advance and divided them equally among her two sons and daughters-in-law. [ 5 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports Jun discussing inheritance and gifts with fellow actor Choi Ju-bong on the program, following a dispute over YouTube appearance fees. [ 6 ]
- Newsis reports Jun saying she divided gold and cash equally among her two sons and daughters-in-law and that she keeps half so her children keep visiting. [ 7 ]
- Maeil Business reports Jun saying she sat her two sons and daughters-in-law down and divided equally, and that she expects to live to 100. [ 8 ]