By Lee Min-hyung
An Army major general was sacked Tuesday for alleged sexual harassment, a day after he improperly touched the hands of a female company-grade officer during a dinner, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
He is suspected of forcing her to sit next to him and holding her hands at a restaurant in Gyeonggi Province.
She reported the case to her unit's legal team Tuesday morning. The Army then launched an investigation into the general and booked him on a charge of sexual abuse. He was relieved of duty immediately, it said.
"To protect the victim, we are offering counseling and legal services," an official said. "A legal team from Army headquarters will check the facts of the incident and question him."
The Army will impose stern punishment on the suspect if he is found guilty, he added.
This is the third time that a ranking Army officer has been involved in sexually harassing a female officer. In July, two Army generals were relieved of their duties over sex crimes. Also, a Navy rear admiral was detained in the same month for allegedly attempting to rape a female sailor.
Despite the ministry's pledge to eradicate sex crimes, the number committed by ranking military officials has been rising every year.
The number of reported sex crimes in the military jumped to 68 from 32 in 2013, according to statistics from the defense ministry. But the actual number is expected to be much higher than those reported, as sex crimes are mostly committed in hidden places.
This has created a social atmosphere that calls for the military to set up an environment where male and female soldiers can be treated equally.
Former Defense Minister Song Young-moo also expressed anger over the continuous sex crimes in the military, and pledged to sternly deal with any officers involved in any sex-related scandals.
Earlier last month, the defense ministry also established what it calls "Gender Equality Committee" to raise the awareness of the gender equality and introduce measures to stop possible sexual crimes in the military.
The 15-member committee, consisting of officials from the military and civilian sectors, is aimed at rooting out any possible discrimination against women in the military, according to the ministry.
An Army major general was sacked Tuesday for alleged sexual harassment, a day after he improperly touched the hands of a female company-grade officer during a dinner, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
He is suspected of forcing her to sit next to him and holding her hands at a restaurant in Gyeonggi Province.
She reported the case to her unit's legal team Tuesday morning. The Army then launched an investigation into the general and booked him on a charge of sexual abuse. He was relieved of duty immediately, it said.
"To protect the victim, we are offering counseling and legal services," an official said. "A legal team from Army headquarters will check the facts of the incident and question him."
The Army will impose stern punishment on the suspect if he is found guilty, he added.
This is the third time that a ranking Army officer has been involved in sexually harassing a female officer. In July, two Army generals were relieved of their duties over sex crimes. Also, a Navy rear admiral was detained in the same month for allegedly attempting to rape a female sailor.
Despite the ministry's pledge to eradicate sex crimes, the number committed by ranking military officials has been rising every year.
The number of reported sex crimes in the military jumped to 68 from 32 in 2013, according to statistics from the defense ministry. But the actual number is expected to be much higher than those reported, as sex crimes are mostly committed in hidden places.
This has created a social atmosphere that calls for the military to set up an environment where male and female soldiers can be treated equally.
Former Defense Minister Song Young-moo also expressed anger over the continuous sex crimes in the military, and pledged to sternly deal with any officers involved in any sex-related scandals.
Earlier last month, the defense ministry also established what it calls "Gender Equality Committee" to raise the awareness of the gender equality and introduce measures to stop possible sexual crimes in the military.
The 15-member committee, consisting of officials from the military and civilian sectors, is aimed at rooting out any possible discrimination against women in the military, according to the ministry.
