프랑스법상 유류분의 반환방법 ―2006年 6月 23日 改正 프랑스 民法을 中心으로―

The gist of the forced portion system in French law was to protect successors rather than protecting the liberty of testament in order to restrict privilege from the Ancien Regime, such as a right of primogeniture, which was triggered by the French Revolution. Against this backdrop, the forced portion system was introduced to the French Code Civil in 1804, and has been maintained for almost 200 years without fundamental amendment. However, as a result, the forced portion system has failed to concur with the contemporary situation in France these days. There was a radical reform of French law of succession in 23 June 2006 and the forced portion system was also renovated to a great extent. The most notable amendment was that the method for returning forced portion was changed from returning the object itself to returning the value of the object. The basic purpose of this amendment was to extend the liberty of disposition and to insure stability of the legal system. Such reform of the forced portion system in French law may give inspiration to interpretaion and legislation of Korean law from a comparative perspective. If we can value the libery of testament over the right of the forced portion, it would be appropriate to deem the right on forced portion as a right to claim, rather than a right that generates legal effect on itself ‘Gestaltungsrecht’, German for the right, which is the holder of the right is permitted to unilaterally cause changes in one's and/or other party's legal relationship. Further, although the principal method for returning the forced portion is to return the object itself, exceptional cases when the value of the object can be returned instead should be acknowledged more generously. From the legislative point of view, it should be considered to change the principal method for returning forced portion from returning the object itself to returning the value of the object.