South Korean Air Force chief due to death in case of sexual abuse | Military News
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President Moon Jae-in immediately accepted the resignation of Lee Seong-yong, becoming the shortest head of the country’s air force.
The head of the South Korean Air Force has resigned, apologized and claimed responsibility for the death of a force member who removed himself after his family was sexually harassed by a colleague.
Lee Seong-yong offered to step down after arresting the army’s sergeant major and accusing and injuring a female colleague of the same rank in March.
“I feel a lot of responsibility around the situation,” the general said.
“I offer my condolences to the victim and sincere condolences to the family.”
President Moon Jae-in immediately accepted Lee’s resignation, his press secretary said on Friday, after he was appointed in September, he became the shortest chief of the South Korean air force.
The victim’s family said he had suffered mental distress and persistent harassment, and accused the air force of trying to cover up and silence the attack for the past two months.
The case sparked a public outcry when the woman’s family filed a petition at Moon’s office on Tuesday demanding an in-depth investigation and punishment for those involved. More than 326,000 people have signed up so far.
The case also carries a lot of weight on the Moon, as the rating of people’s acceptance is steadily declining and the party’s side he suffered severe electoral defeats in two major cities before next year’s presidential election.
Too little, too late
Moon on Thursday ordered an investigation into, among other things, how the air force handled the case, with the family suing three prosecutors at Lee’s base, two of whom were on duty and charged with attempted coercion and the other on sexual harassment.
On Thursday, the air force fired two supervisors who were involved in Lee’s case, without specifying why.
On Friday, military prosecutors conducted searches of military police offices at his headquarters and at Lee’s base, the Defense Ministry said.
A series of incidents have prompted the military to tighten rules and penalties for sexual abuse, but activists say the army is too lenient with members accused of doing wrong.
“The investigation is ongoing, but so far there have been indications that the air force tried to protect its organization, rather than the victim, despite trying to seek help,” a defense source told Reuters, citing anonymity in the investigation.
The death of a woman was being debated as to whether the draft of men in the South should be abolished.
All highly skilled male citizens are required to serve nearly two years in the service, but women can serve in the military.
Persecution in the barracks and other ill-treatment of the barracks had long since contaminated South Korea’s military service and resulted in several suicides and deadly shootings in the past.
In March, A transgender soldier in South KoreaThe man who was forcibly released from the army after the gender reassignment operation took his own life and caused another public outcry.
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