Ministry adds 89 to child support hall of shame list

Since October 2021, the ministry has been imposing punitive measures against noncustodial parents failing to pay court-ordered expenses for their children based on the Act on Enforcing and Supporting Child Support Payment, revealing their names, imposing a travel ban or revoking their driver’s licenses.

On Wednesday, the ministry announced it has added 11 names, requested a travel ban for 25 obligors and a driver’s license suspension for another 53.

If added to the name reveal list, personal information will remain public for three years and only be taken off in cases of the obligor’s death, bankruptcy or if the person goes missing. The name can also be pulled off the list if the obligor fulfills the obligation.

The ministry said, the accumulated support expenses of child obligors added to the punishment list reaches 242 million won ($169,491).

According to the ministry, the punitive measures have been effective, having encouraged noncustodial parents who reject to pay their children's living expenses.

The ministry lifted the suspension on 14 obligors who have paid off some or total amount of the accumulated child raising expenses belatedly after making the list. Showing the will to provide more regularly for their children is also another factor of consideration.

A total of 267 have made the list up to now for not paying off child support expenses since October 2021.

With more obligors requesting the ministry to lift the driver’s license suspension for financial reasons, the ministry said it has set standards such as having paid off child's living expenses more than three times following the court order, being a taxi or bus driver or operator of construction machinery, and more.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)