The number of officials to be tried could rise further as a dozen more are still under investigation, the ministry said, announcing the provisional results of its investigation into the incident that sparked a public outcry over the failure of the army to protect the victim.

The master sergeant, surnamed Lee, took his own life in May, three months after he was allegedly tampered with and further abused by a colleague of the same rank, surnamed Jang.

Jang was arrested last month, only after the case became known to the media.

According to the results of the investigation, Air Force officials attempted to cover up the case without providing appropriate assistance to the victim.

In addition to Jang, two other Air Force non-commissioned officers – a warrant officer and a master sergeant, both nicknamed Noh – were arrested and charged with pressuring Lee to drop her complaint.

The other defendants include colonels accused of failing to properly report Lee’s death to the Department of Defense by omitting key information that she was a victim of a sex crime; Lee’s colleagues suspected of destroying evidence; and officers from another wing accused of disclosing the victim’s suffering to other members of the unit to which she was transferred after the March incident.

During the investigation, prosecutors also discovered that two warrant officers, including Noh arrested, allegedly assaulted Lee in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Six people, including a public defender, suspected of failing to provide Lee with adequate legal support, and a lieutenant colonel from an Air Force military police squadron accused of poor initial investigation into the case , were dismissed from their posts.

The ministry said it would seek the dismissal of nine other people, including the leader of the 20th Fighter Wing where the incident occurred, from their posts, and will refer 16 others to the Discipline Committee.

“A total of 47 people will be investigated or disciplined, the highest number for a single incident since the creation of the Air Force,” Deputy Defense Minister Park Jae-min said during a press briefing.

“We offer our sincere apologies to the victim who had to end her life before fulfilling her dream as a member of the military and to the bereaved family,” Park said.

Following the ministry’s announcement, Lee’s father expressed “strong regret,” saying the ministry does not appear to be conducting the investigation with firm resolve as President Moon Jae-in had promised.

“It is particularly regrettable that the head of the criminal investigation command of the ministry which oversees the military police received a warning only as a disciplinary measure,” he said. “The Defense Ministry’s investigation should not be delayed or suspended for any reason.”

The latest incident sparked intense public fury, leading to the resignation of former Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Seong-yong and the issuance of an apology by President Moon.

Military investigators sought to interview the former Air Force chief as a witness in the case, but he refused, officials said.

The Defense Ministry appeared busy last month, launching a series of task forces and meetings to resolve the issue, but whether the military is capable of reshuffling is still in question.

Last week, a one-star general was removed from his post and arrested for allegedly attempting to assault one of his subordinates after dining together, throwing a wet blanket over the military’s pledges to eradicate crimes sex in the barracks.

The ministry said it would set up a separate investigative team as well as a new panel of judges dedicated to sexual violence cases, and plans to create an office equivalent to the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPRO ) of the US Department of Defense to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

“The investigation team will do its best to ensure that the defendants receive a sanction corresponding to their fault and continue the investigation to shed light on this matter,” the ministry said in a statement. (Yonhap)