The Navy has decided to dismiss a captain for sexually molesting a female colleague on a patrol ship, a Navy source said Wednesday.

The captain, whose identity was withheld, is accused of groping the shoulder of the female officer and breaking into her room on the patrol ship in March. Last week, a military court sentenced him to two years and six months in jail.

“The Navy’s disciplinary committee decided to dismiss the captain for harassing his subordinate,” the source said, requesting anonymity.

“It is an unusually heavy punishment for the military against a sex offender. The decision was in accordance with our zero-tolerance principle,” he said.

Upon the approval of the defense minister, the captain will be forcibly discharged from the military, he noted.

So far, the military has fallen short of dismissing sexual offenders from their current positions.

The Navy has been under criticism for a series of sexual abuse cases by its officers.

Earlier this month, a commander in charge of a frigate was dismissed for his alleged sexual molestation of two female subordinates. (Yonhap)