Byun Hui-su (11 June 1998 – 27 February 2021) was a South Korean soldier. Known as the first openly

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

soldier in

Republic of Korea Army The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the largest of the military branches of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with 365,0 ...

, she had risen to the rank of

staff sergeant Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...

and was a tank driver before being discharged from the army in January 2020 after she underwent

gender reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their gender identity. The phrase is most often associated ...

in Thailand in November 2019. She had fought for the right to continue serving in the army, but was denied and discharged. The army subsequently denied her request for reinstatement in July 2020. Speaking about her decision to undergo surgery, she stated, "I thought I would finish serving in the army and then go through the transition surgery and then reenter the army as a female soldier. But my depression got too severe. I want to show everyone that I can also be one of the great soldiers who protect this country." In 3 March 2021, she was found dead in her home. Workers from the Sangdanggu National Mental Health Center, where Byun received treatment, called for someone to check up on her as they hadn't been able to reach her since February 28. The fire department arrived at Byun's house, and found her body at 5:49 pm KST. Her body had already started to decompose. She was concluded to be dead on 27 February 2021. In October 2021, South Korean court ruled that the

military discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

was unlawful and cancelled the discharge.

Ministry of National Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divide ...

did not appeal the decision. In April 2024, Ministry of Defense's Central Committee for Examination of Killed or Wounded in Action and Death or Injury in the Line of Duty decided to acknowledge that Byun died as a soldier on the line of duty, thus paved way to the possibility of Byun's burial in a national cemetery. The appeals committee found that she died of a depression caused by discharge, and decided there was a probable cause in relation to official duties. This overturned Army General Committee for Examination of Killed or Wounded in Action and Death or Injury in the Line of Duty's December 2020 decision which determined her death was not related to the discharge. She was laid to rest at

Daejeon National Cemetery The Daejeon National Cemetery () is located in Hyeonchungwon-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea. It is South Korea's second national cemetery after the Seoul National Cemetery and is overseen by the Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affai ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byun, Hui-su 1998 births 2021 deaths People from Cheongju South Korean transgender women Transgender military personnel South Korean LGBTQ military personnel Republic of Korea Army personnel 21st-century South Korean LGBTQ people

See also

References