Enlistment requirements for transgender women may be changed by Korean Defense Ministry

The Defense Ministry said Friday that it will seek to remove a requirement that transgender women must have received hormone therapy to qualify for alternative forms of national service.

According to ministry officials, the ministry submitted a proposal on Dec. 13 to amend its ordinance on pre-service physical examinations, which are used to sort conscripts into ranked categories of physical fitness that determine the forms of service in which they can enlist.

In its proposal, the ministry seeks to allow transgender women, even if they have not undergone six months of hormone therapy, to enlist in alternative service, also known as public service, which includes three weeks of basic military training.