Male Soldier Undergoes Gender Reassignment Surgery... What Do You Think About Serving as a Female Soldier?

Gender Reassignment Surgery During Vacation Period
Female Soldier Refuses Early Discharge Recommendation, Hopes to Continue Military Service
Human Rights Issues of LGBTQ+ Individuals Related to Military Service Spark Controversy

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] The Army plans to review the discharge status of a non-commissioned officer who underwent gender reassignment surgery overseas during leave and returned. The non-commissioned officer, who transitioned from male to female, has expressed her intention to continue serving as a female soldier.

However, the controversy surrounding this issue is intense. This is the first case since the establishment of the armed forces where a male soldier underwent gender reassignment surgery during military service and expressed the intention to continue serving as a female soldier, and it is expected to have significant repercussions regarding the human rights issues of sexual minorities related to military service in the future.

There is also public opinion that instead of continuing service, the individual should undergo a new enlistment screening and formally enlist. The Army plans to hold a discharge review committee to examine the discharge status of the 'transgender soldier.'

According to the Army on the 16th, non-commissioned officer A, serving in a unit in northern Gyeonggi Province, reportedly underwent gender reassignment surgery overseas last year during leave.

After returning to the unit, A underwent a medical examination at a military hospital. The military hospital diagnosed her with a 'Grade 3 mental and physical disability.' It is known that the military hospital informed A that undergoing gender reassignment surgery might make it impossible to continue military service.

According to current law, A is subject to discharge. The 'Military Personnel Act and Military Personnel Enforcement Regulations' stipulate that individuals who receive a disability grade in a medical examination at a military hospital are subject to a review of service-related disabilities and discharge screening.

The Army recognized in A's service-related disability review that she 'self-induced the disability' and issued a 'non-service-related' judgment. Accordingly, the Army will soon hold a discharge review committee to examine whether to discharge her.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As a result, controversy has erupted around this issue. The background of the controversy is that fairness and equity have been ignored. A has transitioned to female and wishes to serve as a female soldier. However, there are calls for her to be discharged or to undergo female soldier enlistment screening. Some also argue that 'transgender soldiers' cannot serve in the military.

A man in his mid-30s, office worker A, who opposes continued service after gender reassignment, said, "It is incomprehensible from a common-sense perspective," and raised his voice, saying, "If you have undergone gender reassignment, shouldn't you start everything anew accordingly?" He added, "There are regulations and policies regarding female soldier enlistment, so isn't it possible that someone cannot enlist because of A?"

Another man in his mid-20s, B, said, "The fact that someone has undergone gender reassignment itself seems to indicate many mental issues," and emphasized, "Personally, I think it would be difficult for such individuals to serve in the military."

On the other hand, another man in his early 30s, office worker C, said, "The term 'transgender soldier' itself may still be unfamiliar," and added, "My thought is, what if we just see them as soldiers? However, I am not sure how female soldiers would feel about this."

Another office worker in his 30s, D, emphasized, "I am not ignoring the human rights of sexual minorities, but I want the military to be an exception."

Meanwhile, the Army emphasized that the issue of transgender individuals' military service requires the formation of national consensus and that it is necessary to address it through policy improvements and other measures.

Currently, there are no separate regulations regarding 'continued service after gender reassignment' under related laws. The National Human Rights Commission has also issued recommendations to abolish or revise the Military Criminal Act and Military Personnel Enforcement Regulations to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against sexual minorities in the military.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.