An army captain in South Korea has been handed a suspended prison term in a ruling from a military court for having sex with his male partner.
South Korean conscription laws ensure the nation’s men are made to serve approximately two years in the military, due to their proximity and long-standing conflict with neighbour North Korea.
Gay, bisexual and transgender men are not exempt from conscription laws, and while homosexuality is not illegal in the nation, South Korea’s military penal code states that homosexual activity can be punished with up to two years in prison.
The captain’s lawyer Kim In-sook said the ruling is “ridiculous” and that her client was taken to hospital and treated for shock after the verdict was made.
The soldier was arrested last month amidst claims that South Korea’s military were actively searching for gay/bi soldiers following a leaked video showing two male soldiers having sex. The claims have since been denied by the state.
Military Human Rights Centre for Korea leader Lim Tae-hoon said it was clear that the captain was not involved with the leaked video, and that the ruling had turned the clock backward.
“Sexual minorities who are always living in danger of being outed by others now must live in fear that they could be tracked down at any time and interrogated over their private lives.”
OIP Staff
Source:- Associated Press
