S Korean military to appeal ruling on transgender soldier

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military will appeal a landmark court ruling that struck down its decision to discharge the country’s first known transgender soldier before she was found dead earlier this year. A court ruled that the military unlawfully discriminated against the soldier by forcing her out for undergoing gender reassignment surgery. An appeal could draw strong protests from human rights groups, which have urged the military to guarantee service for sexual minorities. An activist says the military worries about a possible backlash from conservatives while having no policy on transgender soldiers. The defense minister told lawmakers a decision on transgender people in the military must come after reviewing whether there’s a public consensus and how it would affect military morale.