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Website that put spotlight, shame on deadbeat parents returns

Published: 17 Mar. 2026, 16:23 Updated: 17 Mar. 2026, 16:28

A website that discloses personal information of parents who fail to pay child support after divorce resumed activity this January. The screen reads: “Not paying child support is child abuse. This website reveals the identities of people who do not pay child support.” [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The organization that claims to hold deadbeat parents accountable by exposing their identities is back — with a record of influence and no shortage of controversy.

A website run by a civic group, best known by its former name Bad Fathers, has resumed publishing the personal information of parents who fail to pay child support after divorce. The practice, which has garnered online support and is cheered by custodial parents and advocacy groups, has been ruled unlawful by courts, and critics say it risks causing secondary harm.

The site began operating again in late January, listing names, photos, ages and addresses of nonpaying parents. The move comes two years after the Supreme Court upheld a suspended fine of 1 million won ($670) against its operator Koo Bon-chang, who had disclosed similar information beginning in 2018 and was convicted of defamation.

At the time, Koo argued that identifying parents who fail to meet child support obligations served the public interest. The court rejected that claim, ruling the disclosures constituted private sanction rather than legitimate public oversight.

Even so, the group’s activities helped shape policy. Amendments to the Act on Enforcing and Supporting Child Support Payment led the government in July 2021 to begin releasing limited information about chronic nonpayers, including names, birth dates, occupations and workplaces, though not photos. Authorities may also impose criminal penalties of up to one year in prison or fines of up to 10 million won.

Courts have since imposed tougher sentences. In March 2024, the Incheon District Court handed down the first prison term for failure to pay child support, sentencing a defendant to three months. In July the same year, a court in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, sentenced a man to the maximum one-year term for failing to pay 149 million won in support.

Yet the civic group says enforcement has fallen short. None of those fined or imprisoned has paid overdue child support, according to the group. Since relaunching, the site has published information on 33 individuals, again including photos — a step beyond what the government discloses.

Koo defended the decision to resume the practice, saying, “The government still treats unpaid child support as a private debt between individuals, so its countermeasures remain inadequate. Only when it recognizes nonpayment as child abuse and introduces proper measures can we stop disclosing identities.”

A YouTuber known as “Narack Archive” (translated) uploaded the faces of people alleged to be perpetrators in a 2004 sexual assault case in Miryang, South Gyeongsang. However, the YouTuber was later convicted of defamation. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The renewed disclosures come amid broader concerns about online vigilantism. In January, a YouTuber known as “Narack Archive” (translated), who revealed the alleged identities of perpetrators in a 2004 sexual assault case in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, was sentenced to prison for defamation. Some of those identified in the video were either not confirmed participants or unrelated to the 2004 crime.

In another case, personal information about Kim So-yeong, a suspect in a serial murder case at motels in northern Seoul, circulated online before prosecutors completed a formal review of whether to disclose her identity. Comments on her social media ranged from insults to remarks trivializing the case.

“We will pursue all possible civil and criminal legal action against any secondary harm online, including defaming victims or defending and trivializing the perpetrator," a lawyer representing the victims said.

The activist group says it carefully verifies cases and does not pursue private gain. Still, legal experts argue that even well-intentioned disclosures can produce unintended consequences.

“In principle, all forms of private sanction, including those by this group, should be prohibited," said Lee Seung-gi, a lawyer at Lee&Law Partners who supports victims of unpaid child support.

"Even if people feel the judicial system is not functioning properly, the discussion should focus on strengthening public systems through institutional reform.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BYUN MIN-CHUL [[email protected]]