"Father Who Didn't Pay Child Support, Sued"…Middle School 1st Grader Son Files Complaint with Prosecutors

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A teenage middle school student has filed a complaint with the prosecution against his biological father for violating the Child Welfare Act (emotional abuse, etc.) for not paying child support after divorce.

Kim Mo (13), a first-year middle school student, attended a press conference held by the "Child Support Resolution Meeting" (Yanghaemo) in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 7th and said, "I am here to sue my biological father who does not fulfill his responsibility toward his child."

He added, "The presence of a father has always been unfamiliar to me, and I want to live as someone I do not know in the future. However, as the child support amount increased, my mother faced financial difficulties no matter how much she worked, and eventually filed a lawsuit to enforce child support payments."

Kim said, "Failing to fulfill the obligation to pay child support is an act of abandonment and neglect of a child, and a form of physical and mental abuse against the child," and demanded the prosecution punish his biological father.

He continued, "There must be countless children and mothers or fathers living in situations like mine," and said, "I hope this will be an opportunity to find solutions so that children can be protected by adults and live stable lives."

According to Yanghaemo, Kim’s father has not paid any child support since he ran away and divorced over four years ago.

In March, Kim and his mother went to ask his father for child support, but instead, they were reported for trespassing. Following this incident, Kim searched the internet for the Child Welfare Act and wrote the complaint himself.

Kang Min-seo, head of Yanghaemo, said, "Not paying child support threatens the survival of children, but the reality is that criminal punishment cannot be imposed," and argued, "The Child Welfare Act should be amended to punish parents who do not pay child support."

Since November 2018, Yanghaemo has conducted a total of seven group lawsuits against "bad mothers and fathers" who do not take responsibility for child-rearing.