Korean American Law Professor Sues to Lift Exit Ban After Accusing President Lee of Past Crime and Entering Country to Monitor Elections

Morse Tan filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Administrative Court on Monday seeking to overturn the justice ministry's exit ban and requested a suspension of its execution, judicial officials said Tuesday. Tan is suspected of having defamed President Lee Jae-myung by spreading false information, claiming during an event in Washington last year that Lee had been involved in a gang rape and murder of a girl during his youth and that he was sent to a juvenile detention center.

He is also known for making claims of election fraud in South Korea, including his earlier argument that the last presidential election here was rigged.

S. , complicating the South Korean police investigation. He entered South Korea on Thursday ahead of the June 3 local elections, saying he would monitor and verify potential election fraud.

Police asked the ministry earlier Monday to approve an exit ban for Tan, citing flight risk after he failed to comply with a previous summons. A liberal civic group held a news conference in front of the Korean National Police Agency in western Seoul on Tuesday afternoon, calling for Tan's immediate arrest.