[WSJ] Military Panel Will Decide the Fate of South Korea’s First Transgender Soldier
The soldier facing a discharge for her gender-reassignment surgery had initially joined the military as a noncommissioned officer and served as a tank driver. According to the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, she had gotten vacation approval from her unit to undergo the reassignment procedure in Thailand. The Defense Ministry has acknowledged she could have traveled on her personal vacation days, but hasn’t elaborated on whether the military was aware that it was for her surgery.
The civic group said it would have been impossible for the military not be aware of the soldier’s plans to undergo sex reassignment surgery as she had been receiving hormone therapy and psychological treatment, of which her unit had been aware.
On her return from Thailand, the military suggested an early separation and diagnosed her with a mental and physical disorder that can be grounds for a discharge. The South Korean military currently doesn’t have any regulations covering active-duty transgender soldiers, and it blocks transgender people from enlisting.
“If the soldier is discharged, transgender soldiers will be forced to choose between enduring gender dysphoria as a soldier or giving up their career because of their identity. It’s a harsh and stressful situation,” said Kim Hyung-nam, director of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea.
Conservative groups have said the soldier’s request to serve as a female goes against national sentiment. On Tuesday, eight groups protested in front of the Defense Ministry in Seoul, demanding she be discharged.
