'Naming and shaming' of child-support defaulters resurfaces in Korea

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A digital wall of shame targeting parents who fail to pay child support has resurfaced in Korea, reigniting a national debate over whether public shaming is a legitimate tool of justice or an unlawful invasion of privacy.

Despite a recent government crackdown and expanded state enforcement, the return of this practice reflects deep frustration with a legal system that many single parents say still leaves them financially stranded.

The new platform, called "People Who Resolve Child Support" in Korean, began publishing photographs and personal details of alleged “deadbeat” parents on Jan. 26, according to officials. The site is widely seen as the successor to Bad Fathers, an influential but embattled predecessor that was shut down after years of criminal prosecutions. Supporters argue that such naming and shaming is the only way to compel payment in a culture where noncompliance is common, while critics and legal scholars warn that these platforms bypass due process, effectively turning the internet into judge, jury and executioner.

The website posts names, birth years, places of residence and photos based on tips submitted by users. Its operator, Koo Bon-chang, wrote on social media that the platform relies “exclusively on legal documents” and that disclosures are made at the request of victims seeking to publicize the harm caused by unpaid child support. Koo argues that public exposure remains necessary when official enforcement is slow or ineffective.

The resurgence comes despite the government’s efforts in recent years to strengthen formal enforcement. Since December 2021, authorities have disclosed limited information about confirmed child support defaulters through a government-run website under the Act on the Enforcement and Support of Child Support Payments. Those disclosures include names, ages, occupations, addresses or workplaces, the duration of nonpayment and the amount owed — but not photographs, which are excluded to limit potential violations of privacy.

In July last year, the government also introduced a child support advance payment program. Under the scheme, the state pays single-parent households up to 200,000 won ($138) per child per month when court-ordered payments lapse, then seeks reimbursement from the nonpaying parent.

On Jan. 19, authorities launched recovery procedures against 4,973 defaulters, aiming to collect a combined 7.73 billion won in advance payments already disbursed. Officials said that if parents fail to respond to payment demands, the government will investigate their income and assets and pursue compulsory collection measures modeled on national tax enforcement, including asset seizure and wage garnishment.

An official at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the effectiveness of the recovery campaign.

“Only about 10 days have passed since the collection procedures began, so it is premature to produce meaningful statistics,” the official said.

Koo’s earlier activities were the subject of prolonged legal battles. In 2018, he was indicted for publishing photographs and identifying information of alleged defaulters. While a lower court initially acquitted him on the grounds of public interest, appellate courts later overturned the ruling, concluding that the disclosures amounted to unlawful private punishment.

The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the guilty verdict, stating that public exposure primarily functioned as a tool to pressure individuals rather than a lawful enforcement mechanism.