Defense ministry vows to eradicate sex crimes

Defense Minister Song Young-moo, second from right, speaks in a meeting with military officers at its headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, Wednesday. The meeting was held to discuss countermeasures against recent sex crimes committed by high-tranking officers. / Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

Minister pledges toughest punishment on soldiers' sex crimes

By Lee Min-hyung

The defense ministry convened an emergency meeting to tighten military discipline, Wednesday, a day after a rear admiral was detained for allegedly attempting to rape a female sailor.

Defense Minister Song Young-moo presided over the meeting to come up with measures to prevent the recurrence of such an incident amid growing concerns over reported sex crimes by high-ranking officers.

A group of high-ranking military personnel, including Vice Minister Suh Choo-suk and chiefs of staff from the Army, Navy and Air Force, joined the emergency meeting to analyze recent crime patterns and introduce appropriate preventive measures.

“I will have the reported sex crime thoroughly investigated and the assailant face tough punishment,” Song said in opening remarks.

“We all need to recognize it is necessary to eradicate sex crimes committed by those in power. We will rectify the wrong perceptions of sex in the military,” he said.

The participating officials discussed follow-up measures for the reported sex crime and exchanged ideas on how to prevent any repetition.

On Tuesday, the rear admiral, whose name was withheld, was detained on suspicions of an attempted rape of a female sailor. The incident took place June 27 after he had been drinking with her.

The victim reported the case to the military human rights center Monday, and the suspect was immediately dismissed from his post and is under investigation, according to the Navy.

The Navy also pledged to launch a thorough investigation into the case and impose strict punishment if the suspect is found guilty. Until recently, the suspect was in charge of working on preventing sexual assault and consulting with female sailors.

The defense ministry received 29 reports of sex crimes from Feb. 12 to April. 30. About 70 percent of the cases were committed by senior officers against juniors, according to data from the ministry's special taskforce dedicated to preventing sex crimes.

Aside from the sex crimes, the ministry also discussed ways to deal with a growing number of fatal accidents at military installations. During the meeting, the ministry pledged to tighten slack military discipline, as part of efforts to stop preventable accidents.

The defense minister also expressed his strong determination to stop the Defense Security Command (DSC) from engaging in political affairs. The latest allegation surrounding the DSC's political activities erupted Monday when the ministry revealed evidence that it tried to rally support for the then-Park Geun-hye administration over the tragic sinking of the ferry Sewol in 2014.

“I will take action to put a complete end to the DSC's political interference,” Song said. “The military will also conduct a thorough investigation into the recent scandal and reveal any alleged illegal activities committed by the organization.”