A 27-year-old sergeant at a naval medical unit faces a suspended six-month prison term and one-year probation after repeated sexual assaults on multiple female junior staff members from January to early April 2021.
Seoul Western District Court Judge Kim Jin-seong issued the sentence on the 17th for charges including abuse of authority for sexual purposes, quasi-rape, and assault. The defendant, identified as A, exploited his position as a sergeant at the facility to target subordinates through threats, forced poses, and physical violations.
First Victim’s Ordeal
The initial victim, B (25), endured stalking from A starting in January 2021. A issued direct orders as her superior, warning, “If you don’t come when I call, I’ll make you take off your panties and walk into the hallway.”
B suffered around 10 incidents in the facility’s dormitory. In February, she sought help through a counseling service for an indecent exposure complaint but hesitated to identify her superior, allowing the harassment to persist.
Escalation to Other Victims
A extended his actions beyond B. In February, he targeted C (24) in a low-ranking quarters room, forcing fellatio, 60 hip thrusts under duress, and a two-minute naked planking exercise—a strenuous bodyweight pose. He also inflicted sexual humiliation.
During the assault, A refused to share water with C and dragged her to a stairwell, repeatedly striking her stomach to instill fear. Despite C knowing B had been victimized, A proceeded and threatened, “If you scream here, you’re finished.”
A similarly assaulted D (23), declaring, “Lie down here if you don’t want trouble,” and stalked her roughly 10 times. He systematically grouped and targeted other junior female staff members in comparable ways.
Court’s Reasoning
Victims opposed the lenient outcome, but the court cited mitigating factors: a first-time offense, limited severity of harm, non-central quasi-rape elements, and a modest number of victims. Military internal measures, such as unit discipline, failed to address the incidents adequately, treating assaults in service facilities as ineligible for consent-based exemptions.
