Revealing 'bad fathers' personal information prompts them to reach out to abandoned children, activist claims

The website "Bad Fathers," operated by Koo Bon-chang. (Bad Fathers)

Though controversial, Korean activist Koo Bon-chang says his actions — revealing the faces of estranged fathers who refuse to pay child support — have prompted several men to reach out to their abandoned families in the Philippines.

Koo pressures estranged parents by revealing their personal information online through his "Bad Fathers" website. On Sunday, he said in a social media post that Korean men who had fathered children through Filipina women started contacting their families after local media covered stories of such fathers' identities being revealed.

"I've heard from moms in the Philippines that they regained contact (with the fathers) ... One father who ran away seven years ago reached out all of a sudden. I think the media coverage made them scared of their faces being revealed, and they are responding," he said in a post on Oct. 27.

In October, Koo posted photos of several men who had had children with Filipina women and abandoned them. He shared that some of the children do not have money to receive medical treatment, and how one father had lied, saying he lives in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

Koo says that the large number of children abandoned by Korean fathers may be one of the reasons why some people in the Philippines bear ill feelings toward Korea.

Koo has continued his personal crusade against parents refusing to pay child support since establishing the Bad Fathers website in 2018. Though the website also releases the personal information of estranged mothers, the majority of those featured on the site are men.

Koo said his activity has led to over 1,500 child-support payments, but he has also faced a series of litigations for defamation.

In a 2024 ruling, the Supreme Court confirmed a sentence requiring Koo to pay a 1 million won ($700) fine. The court acknowledged that Koo's activities had raised awareness on the public issue of parents failing to pay child support, but said they also infringed upon people's rights.

The South Korean government currently reveals the personal information of parents who refuse to pay child support when their accumulated arrears reach 30 million won or more, or when they miss three or more payments. After a review by a related committee, the subject's name, age, occupation, home or workplace address, period of refused payment and the amount are posted on the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family homepage for three years.

In a past interview, Koo complained that this system does not require the parents' photo to be posted, which makes it difficult to identify the right person.