On Wednesday, the South Korean military discharged a soldier who had had sex reassignment surgery and wished to continue working in the military. The decision came among an outcry from LGBT advocates who said the soldier was being unfairly treated. This decision highlighted the discrimination against LGBT people in South Korea's conservative society.
Currently, South Korea still technically remains at war with its neighbor North Korea at one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world. As such, South Korea requires that all men must serve for up to two years. Women are not required to, but can enlist if they choose to. Meanwhile, transgender citizens are barred from serving, categorized as having mental and physical "disorders." Some do join, but hide their identity to avoid harassment and abuse.
Human rights groups believe the South Korean military should allow more trans people to serve. After living with decades of low birth rates, the country is having difficulty filling the ranks of its military, which numbers at 600,000. However, South Korean society holds deep biases against the LGBT community, despite more vocal support recently.
South Korea Discharges Soldier Who Underwent Sex-Change Surgery
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