SEOUL The Seoul Administrative Court ordered the Defence Ministry to reinstate one of its first women helicopter pilots, who was discharged after she had a double mastectomy to treat breast cancer.

Pi Woo Jin, who is now retired, had been told that she could no longer serve because rules require soldiers who are missing body parts to be discharged. Colonel Pi, now 51, had cancer diagnosed in one breast in 2002 but had both removed, believing that it would be more convenient for her when flying. She went on to serve three more years until she said she was told to go for a physical examination, after which officials eventually decided that she was disabled. The Defence Ministry said that it planned to appeal.

Colonel Pi trekked 400km (250 miles) across the country last year to show that she was healthy. She also published a book criticising male-dominated army culture, where male officers often order female soldiers to wear make-up on duty. There are 3,000 women in the 600,000-strong South Korean Army. (Reuters)

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