President Moon Jae-in immediately approved the resignation of Lee Seong-yong which made him the short-term leader in the country.
A South Korean military officer has resigned, apologizing and pleading guilty to the death of one of the soldiers who committed suicide, according to his family, after being sexually assaulted by a colleague.
Lee Seong-yong has called for his resignation a day after he was arrested for allegedly harassing and injuring a colleague in March.
“I feel a lot of responsibility for a few things,” the official said.
“I apologize to the victim and apologize from the bereaved.”
President Moon Jae-in immediately approved Lee’s resignation, his press secretary said on Friday, making him the largest in South Korea after he was given the post in September.
The victim’s family said they had suffered from insanity and repeated torture, and had accused the military of trying to cover up the attack and detaining him two months ago.
The case sparked outrage when the woman’s family filed a petition with the office on Tuesday to investigate and punish the perpetrators. More than 326,000 people have signed up to date.
The case also weighs heavily on Moon, whose publicity has declined slightly, as well as her party he was overwhelmed by the election in two major cities before presidential elections next year.
Less, too late
The court ordered a thorough investigation Thursday in connection with the military’s handling of the case, with the couple also suing three Lee-based prosecutors for criticizing the two for refusing to work and for trying to coerce others.
The military on Thursday fired two officers involved in Lee’s case, without explaining why.
On Friday, prosecutors stormed military headquarters in Lee’s headquarters and in Lee, the security ministry said.
A number of developments have led the military to enact laws and penalties for sexual violence, but human rights activists say the military is still too small for its opponents.
“The investigation is ongoing, but so far there have been indications that the military was trying to protect its organization, rather than being persecuted, despite repeated attempts to seek help,” a security source told Reuters anonymously.
The woman’s death came amid a heated debate over the need for South African men to be abolished.
All permanent male citizens are required to work for at least two years but women can volunteer for military service.
Torture in Barrack’s cell and other forms of violence have already undermined South Korea’s military operations and have led to more killings and more killings in the past.
In March, a transgender soldier from South Korea, who was forcibly released from the war after undergoing genital surgery, committed suicide, sparking a public outcry.
