Following a series of tragic incidents in which four soldiers from the 53rd Division died, concerns have been raised about the conditions of military service. Allegations have emerged that a pregnant female soldier was coerced into early reporting times and subjected to verbal abuse and workplace harassment at the Capital Corps. The soldier ultimately suffered a miscarriage after experiencing repeated bleeding. The unit has since acknowledged the situation and initiated an investigation.
According to a report from the Aju Economic Daily's investigative team, the Army's Capital Corps is currently investigating Lieutenant Colonel A for allegations of workplace harassment, including verbal abuse directed at subordinate officers.
Lieutenant Colonel A is accused of using her position to issue unfair orders and verbally abuse junior officers, particularly focusing on Major B and Captain C, who were approaching promotion. Reports indicate that A made comments such as, "Should I swing a pen?" implying that her authority could influence their advancement.
The Army's regulations state that the official reporting time is 8:30 a.m. However, the unit reportedly enforced an unofficial early reporting time of one hour earlier. Despite this, Lieutenant Colonel A allegedly criticized Captain C, who was in the early stages of pregnancy, for being late, using derogatory language and questioning her value to the unit.
When Captain C submitted a pregnancy confirmation letter, the situation did not improve. A allegedly demanded that C buy alcohol for the unit, suggesting that her pregnancy was a joke. When C requested to use maternity protection time the following day, A reportedly clenched her fist and asked, "Can I show off my power to you?" and told her to "get down on the floor." Under pressure, C felt compelled to apologize and leave the situation.
For about five weeks, Captain C was assigned to early reporting and tasked with carrying documents up and down six flights of stairs, a duty that was not part of her original responsibilities. This assignment, given to her by A, raised concerns about unnecessary physical strain during her pregnancy, leading to accusations of harassment.
In May, during a training period, A reportedly forced Captain C to wear heavy gear, despite objections from other unit members who noted that pregnant soldiers should not have to wear such equipment. A allegedly insisted, "You don’t even have a belly yet. I ordered you to wear it."
As a result of the ongoing pressure and workload, Captain C experienced repeated bleeding and ultimately miscarried at ten weeks of pregnancy. Following this, the unit recognized the situation and began an investigation into Lieutenant Colonel A.
Current regulations provide specific maternity protection measures for pregnant female soldiers. Article 12 of the Enforcement Decree of the Basic Law on the Status and Service of Soldiers allows pregnant female soldiers to use up to two hours of maternity protection time for rest or medical appointments. Commanders are required to approve requests for maternity protection time for women who are within 12 weeks of pregnancy or beyond 32 weeks.
The Ministry of National Defense also outlines protective measures for pregnant soldiers and military personnel. Article 60 of the Defense Gender Equality Support Directive prohibits assigning overtime work to those using maternity protection time. Additionally, Article 60-2 prohibits night shifts and weekend work for military personnel who are pregnant or have given birth within the past year. Lieutenant Colonel A's coercion of Captain C to report early clearly violates these regulations.
Since taking office, Defense Minister An Gyu-baek has adjusted the timing of breakfast meetings to avoid imposing early work burdens on staff. However, despite efforts to improve military service culture, such as the abolition of breakfast meetings, violations of regulations and misconduct continue in frontline units.
Given the serious allegations of improper orders issued to a pregnant soldier, there are calls for a thorough investigation by the Ministry of National Defense and the Army, along with measures to prevent recurrence.
Representative Seong Il-jong of the People Power Party stated, "If these allegations are true, it is a direct violation of the current maternity protection time guaranteed to pregnant soldiers and represents a serious breach of military discipline through the abuse of command authority. The Ministry of National Defense and the Army must transparently disclose the results of the investigation to the public and conduct a comprehensive review of early reporting, verbal abuse, and unfair directives in frontline units."
A military official stated, "The unit has prioritized measures to protect the victim and has implemented necessary actions, including separating the involved parties, and is conducting a thorough investigation. We are verifying the allegations and any violations of relevant regulations, and will take strict action based on the investigation results."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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