The military police sought a warrant Friday to detain an Army major general on charges of sexually molesting a female subordinate, officers said Friday.

   In the latest in a series of abuse cases that have laid bare lax discipline among service personnel, the two-star general, whose identity was withheld, has been accused of sexually harassing the female non-commissioned officer at his office five times in August and September, according to the Army headquarters. He is in charge of an Army division located in the country's metropolitan area.

   The non-commissioned officer reported the alleged harassment to a counselor at the barracks, which prompted the military police to detain the general on Thursday without obtaining a warrant to investigate him.

   It is the first time that an active-duty division commander has been detained under sexual abuse charges.

   "At around 9:15 a.m., the military police requested the prosecution to file for the arrest warrant against the commander on charges of sexual abuse," an Army officer said, requesting anonymity.

   Although the details of the allegations are unknown, the major general admitted to some of the officer's complaints, according to the officer.

   "The victim has been protected safely, and the Army will do its best to help her overcome her mental harm and to prevent her from experiencing any additional suffering," he added.

   The incident renewed strong public criticism and ire against the military for its mismanagement of a series of brutal cases at the barracks in recent months. Early last month, Lt. Gen. Shin Hyun-don, a three-star general who was in charge of the First Army, was discharged for being drunk in public while on duty.  

   In the wake of the latest incident, Defense Minister Han Min-koo held an emergency meeting involving all major commanders on Friday and called for "thorough introspection."

   "The recent cases that revealed the lax discipline seriously hurt the military's reputation and caused it to lose the public trust. Thorough self-reflection is required," Han said.

   Those who violate orders and commit wrongdoing "should face stern punishment regardless of their rank and positions," he stressed.

   As part of efforts to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, the military has decided to introduce "the one-strike-and-out policy, which rules out such offenders from being promoted, and strengthens related education for commanders," said the officer.

   To better protect female personnel deemed more vulnerable to sexual harassment and assault, the Army will dispatch four more counselors to bring the total number to 18, he noted. (Yonhap)