SEOUL: A South Korean soldier who committed suicide earlier this year after being dismissed by the army following gender reassignment surgery won a posthumous victory on Thursday , as a court told the army to recognise her as a woman and annul her dismissal.
Byun went to court seeking reinstatement, but she took her own life in March before the case was resolved.Regardless of her death, the outcome of the case is expected to hold implications for the military's policy on sexual minorities. "When based on standards of women, there are no mental or physical disability grounds for dismissal," the court said, ruling in Byun's favour.
The Center for Military Human Rights Korea advocacy group, which had supported Byun, welcomed the ruling, but said it took far too long to reach such a"natural and common-sense result".