A few months ago, Byun Hui-su, a transgender tank driver, drew public attention after she was discharged from the Republic of Korea Army after undergoing sex-reassignment surgery. While South Korea bans transgenders from joining the army, it doesn’t have any rule about soldiers who had a sex-reassignment operation while already serving. And until the Byun case no one in the military had ever changed his or her sex while serving, so this case was unprecedented, and it became headline news.
Byun said he wanted to serve as a female soldier, but army officials ignored his plea. The army explained that it decided to discharge Byun because of his "mental and physical disabilities." An army official claimed that the sex-reassignment operation itself didn't affect the decision.
At a press conference, Byun said he wanted to prove that anyone can be a great soldier regardless of gender identity. He also charged that the South Korean army still lacks respect for sexual minorities. And he sued the army for discharging him.
However, netizens have denounced Byun: "The army is right to discharge Byun; the tank driver is selfish and stupid to make a plea to the army, one of the most conservative organizations in Korea, to accept him as a female soldier; other female soldiers won't want to serve in the army alongside transgenders."
Before Byun's case was reported, several political powerhouses, right-wingers in particular, provoked controversy by making crass comments against the LGBT community. Last May 2018, Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the conservative Liberty Korea Party, said he hated homosexuality. "I was shocked by queer festivals in Korea. I hate the LGBT community. I think Korean society has to oppose homosexuality," Hwang said.
In November 2018, lawmakers in the Liberty Korea Party, including Ahn Sang-soo, proposed an amendment that would remove sexual minorities from those who are protected from discrimination under the National Human Rights Act. Ahn underscored his view with controversial remarks: While the world witnesses a surge of AIDS infections, few people can criticize homosexuality because of the National Human Rights Act; it’s unfair to regard criticism against homosexuality as discrimination.
Similar efforts are being organized in other Asian countries. The media may highlight some groundbreaking events like the legalization of gay marriage in Taiwan, but they are in for a few surprises soon.