South Korea to increase criminal penalties for child support non-payment

The South Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has announced plans to significantly strengthen criminal penalties for individuals who intentionally fail to pay child support. Under a proposed amendment to the ‘Act on the Guarantee of Child Support and Support’, the maximum prison sentence for non-payment would increase from one year to three years, and fines would rise from 10 million won to 30 million won.

To expedite enforcement, the government intends to reduce the grace period for criminal prosecution following a court-ordered detention from one year to six months. Additionally, the scope of access to immigration and travel records for debtors will be expanded. The ministry also plans to enhance cooperation with the National Tax Service to better manage and recover unpaid child support through shared information and integrated computer networks.

In a recent session of the Child Support Implementation Deliberation Committee, sanctions were approved for 264 individuals, totaling 322 cases. These measures included 142 driver's license suspensions, 117 travel bans, and 63 public name disclosures. Data shows that sanctions have been increasing, with 1,042 cases approved through August this year compared to 792 during the same period last year.