在菲律賓長期存在、但被忽視的社會問題——韓菲混血非婚生子女（Kopino）的困境。所謂「Kopino」一詞，是由「Korean（韓國）」與「Filipino（菲律賓）」組成的混合詞，專指那些由韓國男性與菲律賓女性所生，卻被父親拋棄、未獲承認的孩子。這些孩子的存在，反映出跨國情感、性關係與社會責任缺失所帶來的深層問題。

根據菲律賓社會福利部門與民間團體的調查，菲律賓全國約有 1.8萬名被遺棄兒童，約占全國人口的1%。而在這龐大的數字中，有相當比例屬於「Kopino」群體——據估計，目前菲律賓境內的韓菲混血非婚生子女約有 5萬人。這些孩子多數由韓國男性與菲律賓女性在短暫關係中誕生，當孩子即將出生時，韓國父親往往便切斷聯繫，有的甚至提供虛假姓名或假冒「平壤」住址以逃避責任。

菲律賓是一個天主教信仰深厚的國家，多數人反對墮胎，對婚外性關係的避孕觀念也較薄弱。許多貧困女性在遭遇外國男性時，懷抱著對婚姻與經濟改善的期望，但最終卻被遺棄，孤身撫養孩子。當經濟壓力過大、社會支援不足時，部分母親只能將孩子送入孤兒院，甚至遺棄街頭，導致菲律賓街頭流浪兒童日益增多。這些孩子多半營養不良、無身份證明、無法入學，只能靠乞討或臨時打工維生。

長期以來，韓國社會對這一問題鮮少正視。許多韓國男性在菲律賓短期工作、學語言或旅遊期間，與當地女性交往甚至發生關係，卻未負起父親責任。由於菲律賓與韓國之間的跨國司法追責機制不完善，母親與孩子即使能確認生父身分，也難以在法律上要求撫養或補償。

直到2025年10月，事情出現重大轉折——菲律賓市民團體「Kopino Human Rights Alliance」（韓菲人權聯盟）決定公開一批韓國失聯父親的真實姓名與照片。這些資料由母親們提供，經過律師團確認後在網路上發布。此舉立即在韓國與菲律賓社會引起巨大震動。

據該團體負責人具本昌（Koo Bon-chang）表示，公開相貌是「萬不得已的最後手段」。由於過去多年，透過外交途徑、法院申訴、媒體曝光等方式均難以促使失聯父親現身，團體只好採取「道德施壓」方式，讓輿論迫使當事人負起責任。曝光名單公布後，短短數週內已有多名失聯超過七年的韓國男子主動聯繫組織，表示願意確認親子關係、提供經濟支援，部分甚至提出願意赴菲律賓見面。

韓國輿論對此反應兩極。部分民眾批評公開肖像侵犯隱私、違反人權，但更多人認為，這些男子應該為他們的行為負責，因為他們的拋棄行為造成了數萬名兒童無國籍、無教育、無身份的悲劇。韓國政府也受到壓力，社會福利部與外交部被要求建立跨國撫養追責機制，以防止類似事件再度發生。

目前，菲律賓國內對「Kopino」兒童的關懷逐漸受到關注，部分慈善機構與韓國NGO已開始提供教育補助與身分登記協助。然而，專家指出，這僅是漫長救援工作的開始。這一事件不僅揭露了跨國戀情背後的現實殘酷，更讓人反思：當浪漫與責任脫節，留下的往往是最無辜的孩子。

This incident has drawn renewed attention to a long-neglected social problem in the Philippines — the plight of Kopinos, the mixed-race children born to Korean fathers and Filipino mothers, most of whom are abandoned and left without legal or financial support. The word Kopino is a blend of “Korean” and “Filipino,” referring specifically to these out-of-wedlock Korean-Filipino children. Their existence exposes the darker side of cross-border relationships, moral irresponsibility, and weak legal protection mechanisms.

According to the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development and local NGOs, there are about 18,000 abandoned children nationwide, accounting for roughly 1% of the population. Among them, an estimated 50,000 are Kopinos—children fathered by Korean men who were often working, studying, or traveling in the Philippines. Most of these men disappeared before the children were born, cutting all contact with the mothers. Some even provided fake names or false addresses, including bogus North Korean (Pyongyang) residences, to avoid being traced.

In the Philippines, where Catholicism is the dominant faith, abortion is strongly opposed, and many couples rely on “natural” family planning rather than contraception. When poor Filipino women become pregnant by foreign partners—often with hopes of marriage or financial support—they are frequently abandoned. Overwhelmed by poverty and social stigma, some mothers are forced to give up their children to orphanages or leave them on the streets. As a result, the sight of street children begging in Manila, Cebu, and Davao has become tragically common. Many of these children lack identification papers, cannot attend school, and survive only through charity or scavenging.

For years, the Korean public largely ignored the Kopino issue. Thousands of Korean men have fathered children during their stays in the Philippines, then returned home without acknowledgment or support. Because of the absence of an effective cross-border legal framework between the two countries, Filipino mothers often have no legal means to claim child support or establish paternity.

In October 2025, a dramatic development occurred: the Philippine civic group Kopino Human Rights Alliance, led by activist Koo Bon-chang, publicly released the names and facial photos of dozens of missing Korean fathers. The images and details were submitted by mothers and verified by lawyers before publication. This move, though controversial, triggered a wave of attention across both nations.

Koo explained that exposing the men’s faces was a “last resort.” For years, legal appeals, diplomatic requests, and media reports had failed to produce results. “We had no other option,” Koo said. “We had to use moral pressure to make them face their responsibilities.” The tactic worked: within weeks, several Korean men who had been missing for over seven years contacted the group, expressing willingness to acknowledge paternity, offer financial support, and in some cases, even travel to the Philippines to meet their children.

The public response in South Korea was divided. Some criticized the campaign for violating privacy and defamation laws, while many others supported it, arguing that these men’s actions caused immense suffering to innocent children. Under mounting social pressure, Korean authorities were urged to establish a bilateral child support and identity verification mechanism with the Philippines to prevent similar tragedies.

Today, both Philippine charities and Korean NGOs have begun providing educational aid and identity assistance for Kopino children. Yet experts warn that the problem is far from over. The “Kopino crisis” has become a painful reminder of how cross-cultural relationships can turn devastating when love is fleeting and responsibility is ignored — leaving thousands of children to bear the burden of adult abandonment.