Yangyukbi Resolution Group to Accuse National Police Agency Chief of Dereliction of Duty... "Responsibility for Failure to Enforce Detention"

At a press conference held by the Child Support Resolution Group in front of the Seoul Western District Court on June 18, CEO Kang Min-seo is holding a placard urging the guarantee of children's right to survival. / Provided by Yanghaemo

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The Child Support Resolution Group (Yanghaemo) announced that it will file a complaint against the Commissioner of the National Police Agency, holding the police accountable for the failure to properly enforce court detention orders against those who fail to pay child support.

Yanghaemo stated on the 29th that it plans to submit a complaint against the Commissioner of the National Police Agency on charges of dereliction of duty to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the morning of the 30th.

Yanghaemo explained the purpose of the complaint, saying, "Even after the court's detention order against those who fail to pay child support is delivered to the police, no detention enforcement has been carried out at all."

Article 68 of the current Family Litigation Act stipulates that if a person ordered to regularly pay money such as child support fails to fulfill their obligation without justifiable reason three or more times, or if a person ordered to hand over an infant fails to comply within 30 days without justifiable reason after being sanctioned, or if a person ordered to make a lump-sum child support payment fails to fulfill the obligation within 30 days without justifiable reason, the family court may order detention within 30 days upon the rights holder's application.

However, Yanghaemo has demanded that the police create guidelines for detention enforcement, stating that actual detention has not been carried out so far. Kang Min-seo, representative of Yanghaemo, emphasized, "In 21 years of child support lawsuits, there have been seven detention orders, but only three were enforced," adding, "The fundamental improvement of the system, which allows evasion for just six months, is also necessary."

Attorney Lee Jun-young of the law firm KNK, who is representing the complaint, said, "We focus on the fact that the core issue is the total lack of guidelines for the detention system. We are filing a complaint against the Commissioner of the National Police Agency for dereliction of duty and urging punishment for the indifference of high-ranking officials to the deficiencies in the child support system."