A military committee in January ruled that Byun Hee-soo, 22, could no longer serve. Byun had transition surgery last year in Thailand and wanted to continue serving as a female soldier.
"In accordance with related regulations, Byun can raise such an objection within 30 days of the committee ruling, and it will take around three to six months before a judgment is issued," an Army officer said.
Byun is the first South Korean active-duty officer to have sex reassignment surgery while actively serving. There are now no rules on how the military should act in these types of cases. With no transgender soldiers serving in South Korea, the decision in this case could have wide implications for the rights of the transgender in the country overall.