‘Bad Fathers’ whether or not to close the door… Solving 700 child support expenses’The bad boy of justice’

The Internet site’Bad Fathers’ is drawing attention again. On this site that reveals the identity of parents who do not pay child support after divorce, former short track national representative Kim Dong-sung is mentioned. On the 1st, a TV channel mentioned child support, and the fact that he was revealed on this site in April last year due to the suspicion of not paying child support for his two children became a hot topic again.

Bad Fathers, who are evaluated as a’villain’ to those who have been revealed to their real names, and as’heroes’ to those who receive help with child support, are at a crossroads. This is because the’Child Support Implementation Act’ was passed in December of last year, and it is expected to be implemented in June. In a call with JoongAng Ilbo on the 3rd, Koo Bon-chang (58), CEO of Bad Fathers, said, “We will close the site if child support payments are successful,” and “we decided to watch the situation until October.”

TV Chosun broadcast screen capture.

The two years and six months of Bad Fathers, which was opened in July 2018, were tumultuous. After the divorce, even after receiving a judgment on the payment of child support in the court, the parents’ faces and occupations, etc., were revealed, causing controversy. It is said that there have been over 700 cases of child support settlement so far. There are about 200 cases of solving the problem of child support by disclosing their personal information, and about 500 cases have been resolved through this method.

There was also a risk of closure several times. Personal threats and retaliation were also inflicted on operators. More than 20 charges have been filed for defamation, and civil petitions have been followed to block access to the site. Some criticized it as’private punishment’ and pointed out that it was similar to’digital prison’.

The’realization of justice like a bad boy’ unexpectedly was recognized in the public domain. On January 15 last year, the 11th Criminal Division of the Suwon District Law (Director Judge Lee Chang-yeol) pleaded innocent to an official of the Bad Fathers site who was handed over to trial on charges of defamation. At the time, the judge ruled that “it can be viewed as for the public interest.” The Korea Communications Standards Commission, which deliberated on blocking access to Bad Fathers last year, decided not to block this site. The reason was that “the public interest is greater due to personal disclosure.”

On December 9, last year, the’Child Support Implementation Act’ (amendment to the law on securing and supporting child support payments) was passed through the National Assembly. Until now, the strongest means of sanctions was an imprisonment order (up to 30 days). According to the revised law, if the debtor for child support does not give money within another year, criminal penalties (imprisonment for not more than one year or fines of not more than 10 million won) may be subject. When the law was passed, Bad Fathers said, “We will close the site when the law is enforced.”

According to the revised bill, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family targets parents who did not comply with the order of detention even after receiving a detention order on the 2nd.▶ Requesting suspension of driver’s license from the head of the local police agency starting in June. ·Inquiry about property tax credit and insurance information ▶ From July, it was announced that the government’s name, age, occupation, and address will be disclosed to the government website or the press after a request for a ban on departure from the Ministry of Justice and after a deliberation and resolution by the Child Support Performance Review Committee.

Jan. 17 Koo Bon-chang, CEO of Bad Fathers [사진 양육비해결총연합회]

CEO Koo explained the reason for maintaining the site for a while, saying, “Because it starts in July, it will take at least three months.” He said, “I think it won’t work if you look at the personal information of the leisure department.”

Regarding this, an official from the Ministry of Gender Equality said, “If you look at the case of publicizing the list by the state, only those who have committed child crimes are required to disclose photos. It is also difficult legally.”

CEO Koo also said, “There is a problem of increasing the budget when the child support lawsuits are conducted by the state-supported child support implementation management agency and legal ward provision team.” He said, “There are 1.54 million single-parent families nationwide, and there are only 57 people in total, including employees,” he said. He said, “It is expected that applicants who gave up child support will be crowded, but the waiting period is only 6 months,” he said. “It may take 3 to 4 years.” He said, “The size of the agency related to child support lawsuits must be increased by at least 10 times.”

He pointed out that there are also problems in which the sanctions are applied only after receiving a judgment of imprisonment. He added, “If the other party changes the address, the lawsuit cannot proceed because the complaint cannot be delivered.” CEO Koo said, “When the Bad Fathers site is closed, all operators will return to their daily lives.”

Reporter Ham Min-jung [email protected]