The late Lee Ye-ram, formerly a first sergeant of the Air Force who revealed sexual abuse against her, was denied designation as a person with distinguished service to the state by a local court, a local media outlet reported Sunday.
According to Weekly Chosun, the Uijeongbu District Court shot down the request filed by her bereaved family, who challenged the military's decision not to bestow the honor upon the deceased. Lee's death was categories as a type 2 line of duty death, referring to deaths while performing duties or training directly related to protecting the country and lives of the public.
Lee took her own life on May 21, 2021, while accusing her superiors of multiple cases of sexual harassment against her in a note she left behind. Her body was found the next morning by her husband, a fellow airman who reported their marriage the day Lee killed herself.
An investigation found that not only did the Air Force not take appropriate measures against the perpetrators and fail to protect the victim, but it tried to hide the truth about the incident. Lee was reportedly subject to bullying within the barracks even as she was attending the legal proceedings as a sex violence victim.
The court acknowledged that Lee's death itself was due to the military, as a psychological evaluation revealed extreme stress and entailing mental illness due to assault and secondary attacks. But it said Lee's activities since the sexual violence did not appear to be directly related to the protection of the country.
Lee's family contended that her death should be considered one entitled to designation as a person with distinguished services, saying she was fulfilling her duties as the victim in the military trial and did not receive due protection.
According to Sunday's report, Lee is the only person to be designated as a type 2 line of duty death and not receive a posthumous promotion from the Air Force. This is reportedly because her wing did not make such a recommendation to the superiors.
"They admit why Ye-ram died, so how can they deny that she died for the country," the bereaved family was quoted as saying, as they vowed to appeal the case.
If you’re thinking about self-harm or suicide, dial the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 109, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.
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