This Time Jangseong Sexual Harassment... Is the Military Changing?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] This time, an active-duty general was dismissed from his post and arrested on charges of sexual harassment. Amid a large-scale joint investigation into the death of a female Air Force sergeant who was a victim of sexual harassment, an incident involving a general accused of being the perpetrator has occurred, drawing criticism that the military's vow to eradicate sexual crimes is merely empty talk.

According to military authorities on the 6th, Brigadier General A was recently dismissed from his post and subsequently arrested on charges of sexually harassing a female member of his unit. It is known that the case was uncovered by military investigative authorities following a report by the victim.

The military recognizes this incident, which broke out amid public outrage over the Air Force sexual harassment victim case and the military leadership, including Defense Minister Seo Wook, pledging to eradicate sexual crimes, as a serious situation. Minister Seo reportedly received an immediate report as soon as the military investigative authorities became aware of the case, expressed anger, and ordered a thorough investigation.

The military plans to prioritize victim protection and conduct a high-intensity investigation into Brigadier General A, taking strict legal action based on the results.

A military source said, "The atmosphere is terrible as another sexual crime incident has occurred while the military is being criticized by the public," adding, "This time, since an active-duty general is accused, the repercussions are expected to be significant."

This is the first case this year in which an active-duty general has been accused of such charges. Accordingly, there is a growing need to strengthen gender-sensitivity education not only for lower ranks but also for generals.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense has received special reports of sexual violence within the military over the past month, and among them, about 20 cases have been referred for investigation. It is also known that investigations have been initiated by each branch of the military. The ministry is receiving reports and conducting investigations with the determination to uncover hidden sexual crimes within the military and severely punish the perpetrators.

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