After Years of Silence, 'Kopino Fathers' Reach Out... What Prompted Their Response?

Fathers Who Disappeared Respond After Media Reports
"We Will Continue to Reveal Faces Even If It Means Defamation"

It has been reported that fathers of so-called "Kopino" children-those born between Korean men and local Filipino women-have started reaching out after their faces were made public. Currently, it is estimated that there are approximately 50,000 Kopino children.

Photo of Kopino children released by 'People Solving Child Support Issues'. Yanghaedeul Ex

On the 2nd, Koo Bonchang, an activist from the civic group "People Solving Child Support Issues" (Yanghaedeul, formerly Bad Fathers), stated on his social networking service (SNS) that "after reports aired about Filipino single mothers searching for the fathers of their children, Kopino fathers who had cut off contact for years are now reaching out to the single mothers."

On the 27th of last month, he also wrote, "I have started receiving messages from 'Kopino moms' in the Philippines," and added, "After media reports about the search for fathers, some 'Kopino papas' who had run away seven years ago suddenly contacted the mothers. It seems that the public exposure of their faces has prompted them to respond out of fear."

Koo also released additional photos of Kopino fathers, expressing hope that "the father of this child will also reach out."

Since last month, he has been continuously posting the faces of Kopino children and their Korean fathers on SNS. On the 23rd and 25th, he resumed his activities, stating, "We are searching for fathers who left for Korea, leaving behind a daughter born in 2010, a son born in 2014, and a daughter born in 2018," and added, "Even if it amounts to defamation, I will not back down."

Regarding the reason for making their faces public, he explained, "To find them, we need passport numbers or Korean mobile phone numbers, but most intentionally hide this information while living together," adding, "Revealing their faces is essentially the last resort."

During this process, there was even a case where someone falsely claimed to reside in "Pyongyang." According to Koo, this man fathered a child with a local woman while studying English in the Philippines, then fled and provided his address as Pyongyang, North Korea.

Meanwhile, Koo recently revealed that he has received threatening messages claiming his actions constitute "invasion of privacy or defamation by stating facts." He said, "According to legal counsel, defamation by stating facts can be ruled either guilty or not guilty depending on the judge's decision," describing the situation as a dilemma.

Koo Bonchang has previously operated "Bad Fathers" since 2018, publicly disclosing the identities of parents who failed to pay child support, which sparked social controversy. He was prosecuted for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, but in January last year, a suspended sentence of a 1 million won fine was finalized.