S.Korea demotes air force brigadier general for mishandling sexual harassment case

ANKARA (AA) – South Korea's military demoted an air force brigadier general to colonel after charging him with mishandling an alleged sexual assault on a woman noncommissioned officer, local media said on Friday.

This is for the first time in about 40 years that the military has demoted any official.

Jeon Ik-soo, the Republic of Korea Air Force's chief legal affairs officer, who has been demoted from brigadier general to colonel, was accused of mishandling the case of sexual harassment of a woman noncommissioned officer, which forced her to commit suicide, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Lee Ye-ram, a noncommissioned women navy officer, was found dead in her home in May 2021, after reporting sexual harassment days earlier.

In March of last year, Lee was allegedly sexually assaulted by a colleague of the same rank and reported the incident to seniors, who tried to cover up the crime.

Later, an independent counsel charged Jeon with improperly influencing the initial investigation, and he was suspended from duty, according to the media outlet.

The incident sparked outrage and shock throughout the East Asian nation in 2021, prompting then-Defense Minister Suh Wook to apologize, while air force chief Gen. Lee Seong-yong to resign.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid