Transgender soldier is not allowed back in army after surgery
SOUTH Korea’s first known transgender soldier has pleaded to be allowed to continue serving after the military decided to discharge her for undergoing gender reassignment surgery.
It is the first time in South Korea that an active-duty member has been referred to a military panel to determine whether to end his or her service due to a gender-affirming operation.
South Korea prohibits transgender people from joining the military but has no specific laws on what to do with those who have sex reassignment operations during their time in service.
The army said in a statement that it concluded the soldier’s operation can be considered a reason for discharge.
It said the decision went through due process and was based on a related military law on personnel changes.
Army officials cited a provision of the law allowing the military to discharge personnel with physical or mental disabilities if those problems weren’t a result of combat.
After the ruling the staff sergeant, who identified herself as a tank driver named Byun Hui-su, held a news conference at which she asked military leaders to reconsider their decision and let her serve as a female soldier.
She said becoming a soldier was her childhood dream and that she now wants to serve at the tense border with rival North Korea.
“Regardless of my gender identity, I’d like to show everyone that I can become one of the great soldiers who protect this country,” Ms Byun said, holding back tears.
“Please give me that chance.” Ms Byun said she had sex reassignment surgery in Thailand in November after suffering depression over her gender identity.
She said in early 2019 she had the top score in an official assessment of tank driving skills among her battalion staff sergeants.
Speaking at the same news conference, rights activist Lim Tae-hoon said he will fight alongside Ms Byun and others to transform what he called “our savage military”.
Mr Lim, the leader of the Seoulbased Centre for Military Human Rights, took issue with the army’s legal justification for discharging Ms Byun.
“I can’t resist feeling wretched at the military’s vulgar mind-set as they determined that the lack of a male genital is a physical disability,” he said.