Lagi Handi Cases Of Sexual Violence Of Soldiers, Brigadier General In South Korea Go Down To Rank As Colonel

JAKARTA - A South Korean Air Force brigade general was demoted to a rank as a colonel for mishandling cases of sexual violence that led to the suicide of a female soldier.

Jeon Ik-soo, head of Air Force legal affairs, became the first general officer to be demoted in about 40 years, quoted from Yonhap News, Saturday, November 26.

The defense ministry authorized this rare disciplinary action to be taken on November 18 and President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed.

This August 27, 2022 photo file shows Jeon Ik-soo appearing before Ahn Mi-young's independent advisory office in Seoul to face interrogation of the military's handling of sexual violence cases that led to the death of MSgt.Lee Ye-ram in May 2021.

Jeon was among several Air Force officers charged in September in connection with the suicide of a female non-commissioned officer who sexually abused her.

The woman, Lee Ye-ram, committed suicide in May 2021, two months after she filed a sexual harassment complaint by a man's superior of the same rank.

An independent lawyer charged officers for trying to cover up cases of sexual violence and defaming the victim's good name.

Jeon, head of the Air Force's legal affairs office, was accused of trying to influence the initial investigation into the incident inappropriately.

He has been suspended from duty and is scheduled to retire next month.

This is the first demotion of a general officer since 1979, when Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa was sent down personally following a military coup led by Chun Doo-hwan, who later became president.

Lee's father, Lee Ju-wan, said Jeon had to be demoted to prevent what her daughter had suffered from happening again.

"This is not personal revenge or destruction of anyone, but the National Defense Ministry's decision to prevent Ye-ram from happening again," the father told Yonhap News Agency by telephone.