Jung Jin-seok Chief of Staff: "Yoon's Sense of Crisis Over Abuse of Legislative Power Triggered Martial Law Activation"

When Asked If He Supported Martial Law,
He Answered, "Never"

Choe Sang-mok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Economy and Finance, and Jeong Jin-seok, Chief of Staff to the President, are greeting each other at the 3rd hearing of the "Special Committee on the National Investigation into the Charges of Insurrection through the Declaration of Martial Law by the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration" held at the National Assembly on the 6th. 2025.2.6. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Jung Jin-seok, Chief of Staff to the President, stated on the 6th at the "Special Committee for the National Investigation into the Alleged Treason through the Declaration of Martial Law by the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration," "As the guardian of the Constitution and the highest authority in state affairs, I believe the President's awareness of the situation may have been the trigger for the declaration of martial law."

He continued, "Compared to the executive and judicial branches, the legislative power was particularly abused, overused, and exercised excessively, leading to the constitutional order based on the separation of powers being in great crisis, which likely served as the trigger for the declaration."

Chief Jung remarked, "The excessive exercise of the National Assembly's legislative power, resulting in frequent impeachments and causing significant disruptions in state affairs, is very concerning from the perspective of those responsible for governance," adding, "Serving closely alongside the President, the highest authority in state affairs, I was able to observe the President's anguish and various sentiments."

Regarding the situation where the President, Board of Audit and Inspection, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Ministry of Justice are operating under acting or proxy leadership, Chief Jung said, "For normal state administration, this must be corrected and normalized quickly."

However, when asked whether he supported the declaration of martial law, Chief Jung answered, "I have never supported it."