Recently, an indecent assault that happened in the air force became an issue. In spite of the official complaint of a damaged female noncommissioned officer, there was not any disciplinary action to the assailant or separation of the perpetrator and the victim, and even her predecessors conciliated her and her surrounding people to cover it up. Eventually, she decided to kill herself saying "I cannot forgive."

▲ report process of the incident

This incident happened in early March when there was congregate dining in the victim's unit despite the fact that it was banned because of COVID-19. After the congregate dining, she was molested by her predecessor at a back seat of a car. She ran out from a car and reported this to her other predecessors, but they tried to conciliate her, and the assailant predecessor even threatened her. So, she transferred to another unit, but she was treated as a protective concerned soldier, and she was bullied by them. In the end, on the day she registered a marriage with her boyfriend, she killed herself and filmed the whole process.

This incident became more serious because of the speculations that the air force tried to cover up the incident and that secondary victimization might have happened on the unit before and after transferring. As for the cover-up speculation of the air force, they treated her death as a simple accidental death and reported sexual harassment and investigation after the exclusive report of MBC.

▲ public apology of the Minister of National Defense Suh Wook

About this case, Air Force Chief Lee Sung Yong, President Moon Jae In, and many others made a statement, and Air Force Chief Lee Sung Yong expressed his intention to resign on June 4th. This incident caused controversy about the status of women in the military, and if this does not improve, incidents like this will happen again.

By An Chang Hyuk