Ministry of National Defense Holds 'Another Countermeasure Meeting'... Are There Any Measures?

Major Jang, who is accused of sexually harassing a female Air Force non-commissioned officer who committed suicide, is being escorted to the Military Court of the Ministry of National Defense on the evening of the 2nd for a detention warrant hearing.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] On the 3rd, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it has decided to establish and operate a Military Prosecutor Investigation Review Committee to investigate the Air Force sexual harassment victim's death case. This measure aims to resolve public suspicions and secure the reliability of the investigation, but it has been criticized as a belated response.

The perpetrator was arrested 11 days after the victim (Sergeant) passed away. This action was taken only after the case was reported in the media and public outrage arose. The victim did not even consult with a military counselor, and the Sexual Harassment Specialized Counselor system, which the Ministry of National Defense had introduced as a measure against sexual crimes, failed to function when it was actually needed. A military official said, "There is doubt about how much personal privacy would be guaranteed if counseling were conducted with the Sexual Harassment Specialized Counselor."

In fact, the victim reported the sexual assault to a superior but was reportedly coerced instead. After a series of sexual crime incidents, the military announced plans to operate the Gender Equality Center independently and significantly increase the number of Sexual Harassment Specialized Counselors. They also stated that the operation of Sexual Harassment Specialized Counselors would be expanded this year.

Regarding poor-quality meals, the Ministry of National Defense proposed a measure to increase the basic meal allowance for soldiers as the controversy grew. However, reports of poor-quality meals continue unabated. On the Facebook page "Delivered Instead of the Army Training Center (Yukdaejeon)," a post reporting poor-quality meals from a soldier in isolation in the 9th Division was uploaded.

On the same day, the Ministry of National Defense plans to hold the first meeting of the "Soldier Living Conditions Improvement TF (Task Force)" led by Vice Minister Park Jae-min and present measures against poor-quality meals and other issues.

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