Byun Hee-soo, who killed herself in 2021 after being forcibly discharged from the military, made headlines in Korea, a country known for its conservative stance on controversial LGBT issues.
Born male in 1998, Byun enlisted in the Army in 2017 and underwent general reassignment surgery in Thailand while on leave in 2019 after experiencing severe depression caused by gender dysphoria.
Despite Byun's plea to remain in the military, she was discharged in January 2020 because the loss of genitals is deemed a physical disability and gender dysphoria is classified as a mental disorder.
Byun then sought to overturn the decision through a string of court trials and administrative litigation, but she was suddenly found dead in her home in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province in February 2021
In December 2022, the Army concluded her death was not considered to be in the line of duty, but her burial at the cemetery was finally approved after the National Human Rights Commission requested reconsideration.
Prior to the burial ceremony, protesters gathered at the Daejeon National Cemetery, claiming that her death was a personal matter. Joo Joseph, head of right-wing civic group People's Action for Freedom and Human Rights, said, "As far as I know, it is said that the eligibility requirements for burial at the National Cemetery is stringent. It's doubtful what she truly did for the country."
But the Center for Military Human Rights Korea expressed gratitude that the government approved her burial at the cemetery, emphasizing that Byun's desire, as someone who wished to live proudly as a soldier, was marred by the discriminatory discharge."
