A court has ruled that a three-month suspension imposed on Jeong Hak-seung, a former Army major general who headed the mobilization staff office and boarded the so-called martial law bus during the Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration, should be overturned.
The 14th Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court, presided over by Chief Judge Lee Sang-deok, ruled in favor of Jeong on the 22nd in a lawsuit the former general filed against the defense minister seeking to cancel the disciplinary measure.
The Ministry of National Defense imposed the three-month suspension in January this year, citing a violation of the duty to comply with laws and regulations during the emergency martial law period. At around 3 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2024 — after the National Assembly voted to lift the martial law declaration — 34 people, including military officers, boarded the so-called martial law bus that departed from Army headquarters at Gyeryongdae for Seoul on the orders of Park An-su, then the martial law commander. Jeong also received orders, selected three officers from Army headquarters to travel to Seoul, and then boarded the bus with other officers. Jeong filed the administrative lawsuit contesting the disciplinary action.
Separately, the court also ruled last month to overturn a two-month suspension imposed on Yoo Jae-won, a former colonel who headed the cyber security office at the Defense Counterintelligence Command. Yoo had received orders during the martial law period to deploy to a polling firm run by journalist Kim Eo-jun but instead told his team members to stand by.
Military officers disciplined over the emergency martial law declaration, including former Defense Intelligence Command chief Moon Sang-ho and former Drone Operations Command chief Kim Yong-dae, have filed successive lawsuits seeking to have their disciplinary measures cancelled.