[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It has been confirmed that the protection system for victims of sexual violence within the military is inadequate. In particular, the case of the late Air Force Staff Sergeant Lee, who was ultimately driven to an extreme choice, was revealed by military investigation results to be a case of secondary victimization, involving repeated sexual harassment despite multiple refusals, and instead of protection after reporting the victimization, there was only persuasion and threats.
On the 9th, the Ministry of National Defense Joint Investigation Team defined in their interim investigation results, "After Staff Sergeant Lee was sexually harassed by a senior non-commissioned officer on March 2, she reported it several times but did not receive proper protection from the military. Instead, secondary victimization such as persuasion, threats, forced interviews, and dissemination of victimization facts continued, leading to her death on May 21."
According to the interim investigation results, from March 4 to May 2, during most of her leave period, Staff Sergeant Lee stayed in the military housing within the 20th Air Wing compound with her husband. Her own accommodation was 960 meters away from the perpetrator Sergeant Jang’s quarters, but only about 30 meters from the quarters of Warrant Officer Noh, one of the secondary perpetrators. Her husband’s quarters were also only about 200 meters away from Sergeant Jang’s quarters, confirming that spatial separation measures were not implemented in their residences.
It was also investigated that documents related to her transfer to the 15th Special Mission Wing, such as the personnel committee results, transfer approval, and commander’s opinion, which were attached during the processing of official paperwork after her sexual harassment victimization and leave, fully exposed the facts of the sexual harassment victimization.
Immediately after the sexual harassment, there was no immediate separation of victim and perpetrator, as she stayed in close proximity for some time with the secondary perpetrators who pressured and coerced her not to report the sexual harassment.
After returning from leave, Staff Sergeant Lee was transferred to the 15th Special Mission Wing on May 18, and three days later, on the 21st, she took a half-day leave, registered her marriage, and then went to her husband’s quarters in the 20th Air Wing, where she made the extreme choice. It was exactly 80 days after the sexual harassment on March 2. Her body was discovered and reported by her husband the next day.
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