South Korea’s first known transgender soldier has been discharged for undergoing gender reassignment surgery.
Speaking at the same news conference, rights activist Lim Tae-hoon said he will fight alongside Byun and others to transform what he called “our savage military.”
Lim, the leader of the Seoul-based Center for Military Human Rights, took issue with the army’s legal justification for discharging Byun. “I can’t resist feeling wretched at the military’s vulgar mindset as they determined that the lack of a male genital is a physical disability,” he said. South Korea’s state-run human rights watchdog recommended Tuesday that the army postpone its decision. The National Human Rights Commission said in a statement that referring the soldier to the military panel would be an act of discrimination over sexual identity and affect the soldier’s basic human rights.
Public views on gender issues in South Korea have gradually changed in recent years. Several gay-themed movies and TV dramas have become hits and some transgender entertainers have risen to stardom. However, a strong bias against sexual minorities still runs deep in South Korean society. Activists say transgender people are likely to face harassment, abuse and insults, and many suffer from depression.
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