South Korea’s initial transgender soldier has been expelled from the army after undergoing gender reassignment surgery to transition into a woman.
Sgt. Byun Hui-su, who underwent the surgery in Thailand while on leave last year, had expressed her desire to continue serving in the female corps. However, she was voted out by a military panel today.
The army stated that despite efforts to safeguard soldiers’ rights and prevent discrimination, Byun’s surgery rendered her unfit for service. In response, Byun vowed to contest the decision.
During a press conference at the Center for Military Human Right Korea, Sgt. Byun Hui-su declared, “I will continue to fight until the day I can remain to serve in the army. I’ll challenge the decision until the end, to the Supreme Court.”
Describing her decision to transition, Hui-su emotionally revealed her struggles and the relief she felt after sharing her true identity with others.
“It was an extremely difficult decision to let my base know of my identity, but once I did, I felt much better,” she said.
Reacting to Byun Hui-su’s discharge, the Seoul-based Military Human Rights Centre condemned the military’s treatment of LGBT+ troops, stating that they are being treated “as if they are criminals.”
“The staff sergeant is a young soldier who has the loyalty and service spirits for the country and the people that are second to none, and loves the military more than anyone,” said Lim Tae-hoon, the group’s head, urging the military to allow Sgt. Byun Hui-su to continue her service.
