Seoul court rejects scholar's request to lift exit ban

A Seoul court on Thursday rejected a request for a suspension of an exit ban against Morse Tan, a Korean American scholar accused of defaming President Lee Jae Myung, legal sources said.

The Seoul Administrative Court rejected Tan's request to suspend the exit ban, which the justice ministry imposed earlier this week, saying that a potential suspension could have a serious impact on the public interest, according to the sources.

Tan is suspected of having defamed Lee by spreading false information about him, claiming during a Washington event last year that Lee had been involved in a murder case during his youth, and that he was sent to a juvenile detention center.

The U.S. scholar, affiliated with the U.S.-based Liberty University, is also known for making claims of election fraud in South Korea, including his earlier argument that the last presidential election here was rigged.

The police investigation into Tan over the defamation allegations had been complicated as he had been in the United States. But he entered South Korea last Thursday ahead of the June 3 local elections, saying he would monitor and verify potential election fraud.

On Monday, police requested the justice ministry to approve an exit ban for Tan, citing him as a flight risk after he failed to comply with a previous summons.

The move prompted Tan, who formerly served as U.S. ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice under the first Donald Trump administration, to file for the exit ban's suspension as well as a separate suit seeking its cancellation.