Choi Jin-sil's ex-husband regained rights over her children the day she died, and a fan stole her ashes from her grave

The actress Choi Jin-sil divorced the baseball player Cho Sung-min in 2004. He signed a contract giving up custody and the right to manage his two children's property in exchange for Choi paying off his debts. Choi died on 2 October 2008. The children were 7 and 5. Under Korean law then in force, his parental rights came back automatically on her death. Her estate was speculated at up to 20 billion won. Cho first wanted a third party to manage it. On 8 December 2008 he agreed to let her family run it and kept his parental rights. The children lived with their maternal grandmother. On 15 August 2009 her urn was taken from her tomb in Yangpyeong. Police arrested a 41-year-old man named Park, who said Choi had asked him in a dream to move her to a grave. The urn broke during the arrest. Her brother Choi Jin-young died in March 2010. Cho Sung-min died on 6 January 2013, aged 39. On 28 April 2011 the National Assembly passed an amendment ending automatic restoration of a divorced parent's rights. From 1 July 2013 a family court must first review the surviving parent and may appoint a grandparent as guardian instead.