Administrative Lawsuit for the Cancellation of the Discharge of Late Sergeant Byeon Hee-su... First Trial Verdict on October 7

A memorial space set up in front of the Justice Party leader's office at the National Assembly last March, where former Sergeant Byeon Hee-soo was found dead. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The first trial date for an administrative lawsuit to determine whether the discharge of the late Sergeant Byeon Hee-soo, who underwent gender confirmation surgery and was discharged due to physical disability, was justified, will be held in October.

On the 19th, the Administrative Division 2 of Daejeon District Court (Chief Judge Oh Young-pyo) set the verdict date for the lawsuit filed by former Sergeant Byeon against the Army Chief of Staff to cancel the discharge to 9:50 a.m. on October 7.

Previously, former Sergeant Byeon, who belonged to an army unit in northern Gyeonggi Province, underwent gender confirmation surgery abroad during leave in 2019 and returned, expressing a desire to continue service. However, the military authorities conducted a mandatory examination of Sergeant Byeon's physical changes and issued a Grade 3 mental and physical disability rating, leading to his discharge in January last year.

On this day, the representative for former Sergeant Byeon stated, "The plaintiff was in very good (mental) condition until just before the discharge," and added, "The discharge decision was due to gender discrimination."

On the other hand, the Army expressed "deep condolences" but rebutted, saying, "Since former Sergeant Byeon had undergone long-term psychiatric treatment and was taking medication, the proper mental and physical disability procedures were followed."

Meanwhile, former Sergeant Byeon was found dead at his home in March. Accordingly, whether the effect of the succession of lawsuits applied for by former Sergeant Byeon's parents and other heirs will be recognized is expected to be a key issue in the trial.