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By Park Si-soo
Will South Korea accept a transgender person in the military?
The Army is examining a "keep or drop" case involving a petty officer who underwent sex-change surgery in Thailand last year while on leave.
The officer ― who is also seeking to change his legal gender to "female" ― is recuperating from the surgery, hoping to stay in the military.
The Army is planning to hold a meeting next week to decide on the case. If the decision is to keep "him," he will become the first transgender person in uniform. This could have a far-reaching impact on a society facing heated conflicts over LGBT and gender-based discrimination.
With no rules on sexually reoriented soldiers in place, the Army is studying relevant cases overseas to decide its position.
According to reports, opinion supporting the officer's ouster outweighs "keeping him in." A military hospital classified him as "not eligible" after last year's mental check, putting weight behind his forced retirement.
But given the sensitivity of the issue, it won't be easy for the Army to make a decision.
"We are proceeding with the case according to related laws and rules," an Army spokesman said.
