If Child Support Is Not Paid Despite a Court Order, Public Disclosure, Travel Ban, and Criminal Penalties Are Possible

Passage of the "Act on Securing and Supporting Child Support Payment" at the Cabinet Meeting

The above photo is not directly related to the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] If a child support debtor fails to pay child support without justifiable reasons despite a detention order, measures such as public disclosure of their name, travel bans, and criminal penalties will become possible.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that the partial amendment bill of the "Act on Securing and Supporting Child Support Enforcement" containing these provisions passed the Cabinet meeting on the 5th.

The travel ban can be requested ex officio by the Minister of Gender Equality and Family to the Minister of Justice after deliberation and resolution by the Child Support Enforcement Deliberation Committee. Public disclosure occurs when the child support creditor applies to the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and if the child support debtor fails to fulfill the child support obligation even after being given an opportunity to explain for more than three months, their information is disclosed on internet websites, etc. Furthermore, if the child support debtor fails to comply with the child support obligation within one year without justifiable reasons despite a detention order decision, criminal penalties (imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won) are also possible.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has supported 83.3 billion won in child support enforcement over the past six years through the "Child Support Enforcement Agency." The Child Support Enforcement Agency is a customized dedicated organization that provides counseling, negotiation, litigation and collection, child support enforcement support, and monitoring to help single-parent families receive child support from the non-custodial parent. The child support enforcement rate has been increasing every year, and the enforcement amount rose from 14.2 billion won in 2017 to 26.2 billion won in 2019.

Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, said, "Child support is not a private creditor-debtor issue but a public matter directly related to the child's right to survival and healthy growth," adding, "We will do our best to enhance the effectiveness of the child support enforcement system."

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