South Korea’s 550,000-member military is considered one of its most hierarchical and male-dominant institutions. In a survey conducted by the Defense Ministry in 2019, fewer than 1/3rd of those who said they had experienced sexual assault reported it to the authorities, as most of them felt “nothing would happen.” In 2021, a 22-year-old female Korean soldier, Lee Yaeram, committed suicide after being repeatedly sexually assaulted by her male colleague. Her death incited national outrage, prompting an amendment of the Military Court Act. The proposal calls for limiting military court to first trials and transferring appeals to civilian courts. VICE World News speaks to Bang Hyelin, a survivor of sexual violence and former Captain at the ROK Marines about her experiences in South Korea’s military. VICE World News reached out to South Korea’s Ministry of Defence for comments. We did not receive a response at the time of publication.

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