[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Navy Female Sergeant Death... '3 Key Questions'

Minister of National Defense Seo Wook and other Cabinet members are attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The case of a female Navy non-commissioned officer (NCO) found dead has sparked controversy due to its striking similarity to the Air Force female sergeant case, where the victim was sexually harassed in March and continuously reported the abuse but was neglected.

According to the Navy on the 13th, the date the female Navy NCO A was found dead was the 12th. This occurred just eight days after President Moon Jae-in summoned Minister Seo and other military leaders to the Blue House, urging them to "become a trusted military."

The date when NCO A was sexually harassed was May 27 at a civilian restaurant. It is reported that she claimed to have been sexually harassed by Sergeant B while dining. Immediately after the incident, NCO A informed only one unit official of the abuse and requested that it not be exposed externally. However, on August 7, NCO A reported the abuse to the unit commander and requested formal registration of the case. The victim, who was cautious about the abuse becoming public, appears to have undergone psychological changes between May 27 and August 7, suggesting a high possibility of secondary victimization.

Follow-up measures such as separating the perpetrator and victim were not carried out promptly. NCO A officially reported the incident to the unit on the 7th, but it was only on the 9th that she was dispatched to a land unit. Despite NCO A being in a highly unstable psychological state just before making an extreme choice, the military authorities failed to provide proper protection. In particular, the military did not offer counseling or psychological support to NCO A and reportedly suggested she consider taking leave, drawing criticism that this case mirrors the Air Force female sergeant incident.

There are doubts about the military’s self-regulatory capabilities. The timing of NCO A’s sexual harassment was six days after the Air Force female sergeant’s extreme choice. At that time, the military was conducting a large-scale campaign promoting a special sexual violence reporting period, which ran from June 3 to 30. However, the military authorities failed to properly recognize the Navy NCO A’s case. This is incomprehensible, especially considering that the Air Force Chief of Staff resigned amid the crisis.

Inside and outside the military, criticism is mounting that despite Defense Minister Seo Wook’s direct public apology over the Air Force female sergeant’s death two months ago, the measures to prevent recurrence have become empty promises. The military’s sexual violence victim protection system, which was supposed to be strengthened after the Air Force female sergeant’s death, has once again become ineffective.

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