South Korea army chief accused of ordering probe to out gay personnel

[chiirbii]

South Korea’s army chief is facing calls to resign amid claims he ordered a nationwide probe to root out and prosecute gay personnel.

 

According to campaign group the Military Human Rights Center for Korea, General Jang Jun-kyu, army chief of staff, launched a “track-down process†that pinpointed about 50 soldiers, 20 of whom now face charges under military anti-homosexuality laws.

 

The vast majority of South Korean men must serve mandatory two-year stints in the country’s armed forces.

 

“Gen Jang is obviously incapable of leading the army,†MHRCK said in a statement.

 

“He treated his men who did their best to protect their homeland as if they were culprits and made them suffer the most horrible fear — losing personal dignity. He must take responsibility . . . and resign immediately.â€

 

The South Korean defence ministry declined to comment.

 

The army denied Gen Jang had ordered a probe but acknowledged that “we are punishing soldiers on service who have homosexual relations with soldiersâ€, noting that homosexual activity was considered “sexual harassment crime†under the country’s military criminal act.

 

‘There is not going to be much public support [for these soldiers]. Korea is not ready for these issues’

Kim Jiyoon, Asan Institute

The remarks underline the conservative nature of much of South Korea which, despite rapid technological and economic development, has lagged behind on social issues.

 

The report by MHRCK alleges that investigators heaped psychological pressure on homosexual soldiers by threatening to out them to their peers, while interrogating them on their private lives in explicit detail. The team also carried out an undercover search of gay dating apps to uncover homosexual personnel, the report claims.

 

Same-sex sexual activity is legal in South Korea, although gay marriage is forbidden. The topic is generally taboo and it is rare to see same-sex couples in public. A survey from the US Pew Research Center found that 57 per cent of Koreans found homosexuality unacceptable, with only 18 per cent viewing it as acceptable.

 

“This [probe] is an obvious violation of human rights,†said Kim Jiyoon of the Asan Institute think-tank in Seoul. “But there is not going to be much public support [for these soldiers]. Korea is not ready for these issues. In the US, LGBT rights have escalated to become political issues. In Korea, it is not politicised yet.â€

 

“The South Korean army imported its military law from western countries, but those countries have since abolished the laws because they are no longer acceptable. Korea still maintains these outdated laws,†said Han Ga-ram, a human rights lawyer in Seoul.

 

The military’s role in defending South Korea from the North makes it one of the country’s most powerful and important institutions. 

 

The South Korean army’s stance on homosexuality makes it an outlier among industrialised nations, with virtually all OECD militaries allowing LGBT citizens to serve. In the UK, gay citizens have been allowed to serve openly in the military since 2000, while the US lifted restrictions in 2011.

 

https://www.ft.com/content/5f711802-2007-11e7-a454-ab04428977f9

 

[~Alexâš¡thunder~]

sad

[Lugoose]

:(

[orphan]

I would think given their hostile northern neighbor, the guy in charge would have better use of his own time and those carrying out his orders.

 

 

 

 

 

I can never wrap my head around the fact that homosexuals are exempted or frowned upon for enlisting to serve. Why single out this particular segment of the population? Its not like what one does in the privacy of one's bedroom, would have any effect on their capabilities to perform and serve as a member of the various armed forces. Aside from getting pregnant of course....xD

 

 

 

[Deviandrepepe]

If ur going to threat gay soldier like this then don't make them serve in the first place.

[Eppo]

It's almost always the old fucks doing shit like this. 

[spicey babe]

LMAO how do they plan to defend South Korea if the poor scared of their manhood 'men' can't even protect their soldiers? I swear that most of these people despict gay soldiers because they feel they are going to hit on them.

 

What to expect from people that categorizes gay people with having 'personality disorder'on their service, and people still want to out their 'supah dupah gay fave' and don't people that mantain sexual relationships on their service are punished? Because I'm almost sure they ignore this shit quite a lot when there's heterosexuals doing it, or maybe it's just for celebrities mmm.

[lax39]

Not illegal to be gay as a South Korean civilian --> illegal to be gay in the South Korean army --> mandatory service for men in South Korea....

 

What a terrible Catch-22 for gay men who just want to do their service in peace. Fucking wanker general.

[25%Cotton]

the thing about "don't ask don't tell" is that it at least it has DON'T ASK in it.

it's one terrible thing for LGBT citizens to be baselessly barred from openly serving their country in the armed forces,

but it's even worse to hunt down those who are trying to remain discreet and avoid issue (aka every LGBT person in military service in korea).

 

what a horrible, horrible breach of human rights in a country that tries to think of itself as modern.

 

anyone who took part in this deserves a dishonorable discharge, but we all know they won't get it because korea's courts are a joke.