S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Thursday said it will put more responsibility on non-custodial mothers and fathers to bear child-rearing expenses by having them pay the government directly for the expenses covered by the state in advance.

Under the advance payment of child-rearing expenses system, the state pays unpaid child support to the custodial parent first and then collects the outstanding amount from the non-custodial parent later.

As early as next year, the new single-parent family support advance payment system will be expanded to cover more families, and the payment period will be extended to last until the child reaches the age of 18.

As one of President Yoon Suk Yeol's pledges during his presidential campaign, the plan aims to expand and transform the existing temporary emergency child support program, which provided child support of 200,000 won ($148) per child per month for up to one year to single-parent families with an income of up to 75 percent of the median level.

In response to criticism that the system is insufficient to help families in need, the government has expanded the eligibility criteria to families who earn up to 100 percent of the median income level.

The government will also place administrative sanctions and criminal penalties on non-custodial parents who willfully refuse to pay support.

The ministry's plan also includes specific measures to improve the child support collection rate, which is only 15.3 percent currently.

Currently, except for those liable for temporary child support, most child support debtors must give "consent" to allow the government access to their property and financial information, which is rarely granted.

If the person has not consented to revealing their financial information, the state can apply for a property search or garnishment order under the Family Procedure Law or the Civil Enforcement Law.

The problem is that it usually takes between eight months and a year for the court to make a decision, and the debtor may use this time to dispose of or alter their assets.

In response, the government has decided to amend the Child Support Enforcement Act to allow the state to inquire about one's income and property, including financial information, without the debtor's consent if the state has paid child support in advance.

The minimum notice period for child support debtors who are subject to the disclosure will also be reduced from the current three months or more to 10 days or more.

Some 19,000 families are expected to benefit from the government's new plan.