In extreme case, parent withholds child support payments for over 20 years A stock photo of a baby (123rf) The government said Sunday that it revealed the identities of 366 individuals over the past three years as punishment for the parents' failure to pay child support.The individuals withheld due payments in the accumulated amount of 17.3 billion won ($11.48 million), averaging 47.3 million won per person, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.By age, nearly half of them (168) were in their 40s, 94 were in their 50s, 92 in their 30s, eight in their 20s, and four were in their 60s.On average, the parents had failed to pay child support for five years and six months, but one parent did not pay for 20 years and seven months. The largest amount due by a single parent was 344.3 million won, while the smallest amount was 2.8 million won.In terms of jobs, 59 parents who failed to pay were office workers, eight were workers with nonguaranteed contracts, seven were self-employed and two were CEOs of enterprises. The occupations of the remaining people were not confirmed.Parents who do not cover their portion of child-rearing costs are subject to punitive actions by the government, including having their names and personal information posted, their driver's license revoked, and being slapped with an overseas travel ban. Those who failed to make multiple payments over an extended period, even after the authorities' warning, are subject to punishment.Yearly penalties imposed on such individuals have increased substantially, from 359 in 2022, to 639 in 2023, 947 in 2024 and 1,389 in 2025.In a bid to provide financial support for single custodial parents, who are not receiving child support from their estranged partners, the government allows them to apply for advanced child support payments. The government pays up to 200,000 won monthly per child, and later collects the money from the noncustodial parent who failed to make payments.Some parents' failure to pay child-rearing costs has been a social issue in Korea. Local activist Koo Bon-chang has been revealing the names and photos of parents who do not pay child support on his privately-run website. He continues to run the site despite being involved in a series of legal disputes.