Issues and concerns about a prospective child support enforcement policy in South Korea

A rapidly growing number of unwed mothers is now forcing Korean society to look to the previously forgotten population of unwed fathers. For the first time, the Korean government is considering imposing child support enforcement on unwed fathers. This article explores potential problems, as well as possible benefits, of a child support enforcement policy in South Korea by analyzing both the unique characteristics of Korean society and the previous child support enforcement policy experiences of other countries. A prospective enforcement policy might be beneficial to Korean unwed mothers by decreasing the moral stigma placed on them, by increasing Korean men's awareness about the consequences of their sexual relationships, and by providing them with financial resources. However, in practice, child support enforcement may increase unwed mothers' risk of being threatened by unwed fathers and may decrease their autonomy from unwed fathers. The practical barriers to establishing this enforcement policy are also discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.