Army Administrator Disciplined for Sexual Harassment After Making Inappropriate Comments to Female Soldiers

A court has ruled that the one-month suspension of an Army administrative supply officer for telling female soldiers to "wear makeup" and "lose weight to attract men" was a justified disciplinary action.

The court recognized these remarks as acts of sexual harassment that warranted disciplinary measures.

On May 12, the Chuncheon District Court ruled against the plaintiff, identified as A, in a lawsuit he filed seeking to cancel the disciplinary action.

The court also ordered A to bear the costs of the lawsuit.

A was suspended for one month in April of last year after an investigation revealed that he had made sexually harassing remarks to female soldiers on nine separate occasions.

During company dinners, he reportedly told female soldiers to "wear makeup" and remarked that "you should learn to cook well so you can prepare meals for your husband when you run a household."

Other soldiers present at the time were reportedly shocked, attempting to stop him by saying, "You shouldn't say things like that," and "You could be reported these days," but investigations showed that he ignored them and continued to make such comments repeatedly.

In the mess hall, he also told a female soldier to "eat less" and pointed to a poster of a celebrity, reprimanding them by asking, "Even celebrities wear makeup, so why don't you?"

After the disciplinary action was taken, A claimed he was unfairly treated and filed a lawsuit with the court.

During the trial, A's side argued that he was "merely offering advice as a senior with more experience in married life" and that "mentioning the fact that they were not wearing makeup was nothing more than a simple comment."

The court rejected A's claims and recognized his remarks as acts of sexual harassment.

The court rebuked him, stating, "A made direct comments criticizing the appearances of the female victims in public settings on multiple occasions over a significant period." The court added, "Given the closed and hierarchical nature of the military organization, it appears the victims had no choice but to feel intimidated by the remarks of A, who was their superior."

The court further noted that there was no reason for the victims to falsely accuse A of events that did not occur, and that there was corroborating testimony from witnesses.

A has refused to accept the ruling and filed an appeal on June 1.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Design by Lee Soo-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.