South Korean Police Request Exit Ban on Korean-American Law Professor Morse Tan

South Korean police asked the Ministry of Justice on June 1, 2026, to approve an exit ban on Morse Tan, a Korean American professor, citing flight risk after he did not comply with a summons to appear before investigators. Morse Tan, dean of Liberty University School of Law, entered South Korea on May 28, 2026, at Incheon International Airport ahead of the June 3 local elections.

He had been staying in the United States before his arrival.

Instead, he submitted a request seeking the recusal of the investigators and a statement explaining his absence. Tan is accused of defaming President Lee Jae Myung by spreading false information, including claims made during an event in Washington in 2025 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.

Tan is also known for making claims of election fraud in South Korea, including an argument that the last presidential election was rigged. He stated that he entered the country to monitor and verify election fraud. Park Jeong-bo, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said police will conduct the necessary investigation into Tan in accordance with established procedures.

Police are expected to issue another summons to Tan, who is scheduled to leave the country immediately after the June 3 local elections. On May 29, 2026, Tan visited a polling station in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, where early voting for the June 3 local elections was under way.