Recently, a soldier named Byun Hee-soo underwent male-to-female sex reassignment surgery (SRS), also known as gender reassignment surgery (GRS), while serving in the military, which resulted in her being forced out of the army on January 22. There were numerous people who supported this decision, saying that someone who has undergone GRS could cause problems in the military. However, this appears to be a case of discrimination and active discourse is needed on how the military should treat sexual minorities.

The grounds for the decision were not directly her transsexuality, but rather her lack of male genitalia was classified as a mental and physical disability as stipulated in the Military Personnel Management Act. Some people have suggested that she join the Women’s Army Corps. However, the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases (KDC), based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Disease (ICD), classifies SRS as a gender identity disorder and this makes it difficult for her to enter the Women’s Army Corps as a staff sergeant.

This situation seems to prove that current Korean military laws are not ready to accept transgender individuals. The presence/absence of genitalia as the reason for disqualification seems to be biased towards biological gender only. The desire of transgender individuals to loyally serve their country should not be ignored. Thus, action has to be taken to give equal opportunities to transgender people. Above all, there should be laws that prevent people from being judged by the presence/absence of certain genitalia. All people should be guaranteed the right to be judged fairly by pre-set criteria that would objectively assess their physical and mental ability to serve in the military.

The atmosphere within the army may be another problem. There could be some soldiers that may feel uncomfortable with transgender people in the same military unit. This issue is difficult to ignore. However, people have to note that this discomfort itself may represent a pre-existing prejudice against transgender individuals. There needs to be an effort on the part of others to accept them as who they are now, rather than focusing on their change.

Social openness and the development of awareness should be accompanied by systematic and institutional support. Specific guidelines for transgender individuals within the military are required. Hence, there should be an active discourse on the possible problems, and ways to minimize these problems should be carefully thought out. For example, the United Kingdom (U.K.) has established detailed guidelines for every aspect of military life, such as physical examinations, troop placement, clothing, and the prohibition of discrimination. To provide guidelines regarding transgender soldiers in the Korean military, legal rights and fair treatment for everyone should be prioritized.

Byun Hee-soo’s situation has significance in that it has raised an essential issue in society. Since the 21st century, more members of sexual minority groups have started to reveal themselves, and accordingly, more effort is required to listen to their voices and to change attitudes towards them. It should be a basic notion that those who are part of a sexual minority group are still humans who should be guaranteed their basic rights and to be treated the same as anyone else. In addition to changing attitudes, changes to laws and guidelines in organizations need to be quickly yet carefully introduced. These efforts would provide a great foundation for a society where sexual minority groups no longer need to hide and are no longer deprived of their rights.