If Child Support Is Not Paid, Overseas Travel Is Restricted... Personal Information Disclosure and Criminal Punishment Also Possible

Passage of the Amendment to the Child Support Enforcement Act

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Parents who do not pay child support without justifiable reasons despite court detention orders will face travel bans, public disclosure of personal information, and criminal penalties.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) announced on the 10th that the "Partial Amendment to the Act on Securing and Supporting Child Support Enforcement," which includes these provisions, has passed the plenary session of the National Assembly. According to MOGEF, 78.8% of unmarried and divorced single parents do not receive child support, and the enforcement rate of child support among cases filed with the Child Support Enforcement Agency is only 37.5%. Minister Lee Jung-ok of MOGEF explained at the Legislative and Judiciary Committee meeting on the 8th, "Recently, courts have required child support agreements even in consensual divorces, reflecting the view that child support cannot be regarded as a simple private debt," adding, "Public intervention is necessary to protect children's rights, such as the right to survival, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child."

Under the new law, if a child support debtor fails to pay child support despite a detention order, the Minister of Gender Equality and Family may request the Minister of Justice to impose a travel ban through a review and resolution by the Child Support Enforcement Deliberation Committee. Additionally, if a child support creditor applies to the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, the debtor’s personal information may be disclosed on internet websites after providing the debtor with an opportunity to explain for at least three months and following a review and resolution by the Child Support Enforcement Deliberation Committee. To prevent debtors from evading detention enforcement by reporting false addresses, criminal penalties will also be possible in the future. Previously, an amendment that cancels the driver's license if child support is not paid despite a detention order was also passed.

Meanwhile, MOGEF has made various efforts to improve the rights of single-parent families. The Act on Securing and Supporting Child Support Enforcement was enacted in March 2014, and the Child Support Enforcement Agency was established and is being operated as a dedicated institution. Support for single-parent families will also be expanded. Single parents receiving livelihood benefits at or below 30% of the median income will be eligible to receive 100,000 KRW per month as child-rearing support for single-parent families. The age limit for young single parents receiving additional child-rearing support will be expanded from 24 to 34 years old.

When using single-parent family welfare facilities, childcare services will be provided free of charge. This aims to create an environment where single parents can balance work, studies, and child-rearing. Mr. Byeon Mo, who is currently using a single-parent facility, said, "Living in the welfare facility, I was able to receive practical help from childbirth to child-rearing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.