Lieutenant Colonel Noh Hyun-joo, the head of the sexual abuse and human rights investigative team, provides consultation to a soldier.
The defense ministry on Thursday opened a shelter for victims of sexual crimes at barracks following the launch of a special unit charged with investigating sexual violence and human rights abuse cases.
The ministry said the victim support center is part of the military's broader efforts to prevent sexual violence and conduct probes with a more victim-centered approach.
Colonel Kim Gab-tae, the chief investigator of the ministry's Criminal Investigation Command said, "The establishment of the sexual abuse and human rights violation investigative team this year was the beginning of our efforts to eradicate sex crimes in the military."
In January, the military set up a separate investigative unit focused on sexual violence cases and designated a female chief investigator, Lieutenant Colonel Noh Hyun-joo, for the first time in the military police's history.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
