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Activist exposes faces of fathers abandoning half-Filipino children in revealing posts

Published: 27 Oct. 2025, 12:01

A civic group that aids people receive support for children from parents led by social activist Koo Bon-chang uploaded a photo of a child alleged to have been born to a Korean father and Filipino mother on their social media. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The faces of Korean men who allegedly abandoned their half-Filipino children have been revealed by an activist known for publicly identifying parents who fail to pay child support.

Koo Bon-chang, who leads the civic group best known by its former name "Bad Fathers," posted photos on social media on Thursday and Saturday, seeking information about the men.

“We are looking for fathers who each left for Korea after having a daughter born in 2010, a son born in 2014, and a daughter born in 2018,” Koo wrote. He said one of the half-Korean, half Filipino children, born in 2018, is unable to receive proper medical treatment due to a lack of funds.

A Filipino mother alleges a man who fathered her child claimed he lived in Pyongyang, North Korea, according to a South Korean civic group. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

One of the men allegedly told the child’s mother that he lived in Pyongyang, North Korea. The man fathered the child while studying English in the Philippines, then fled back to Korea, according to Koo. The activist shared a message from the Filipino mother pleading for help.

Koo previously ran a civic group in the Philippines that supported Filipino mothers in child support lawsuits. Since 2018, he has operated the website "Bad Fathers," which publishes the identities of parents who refuse to pay child support.

He was charged with defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act for the disclosures. In January last year, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that suspended a 1 million won ($700) fine against him.

The court said Koo’s actions contributed to public awareness of child support issues but also infringed on individuals’ rights.

“Koo played a role in shaping public opinion on the social issue of unpaid child support,” the ruling stated, “but his actions also amounted to a private sanction that seriously violated the victims’ rights.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]