Former US diplomat stirs controversy in Seoul with election fraud claims

Morse Tan, left, former U.S. ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice, speaks during an event on election fraud allegations in Korea held near Seoul National University's campus in Seoul, Tuesday. The event was originally scheduled to take place on campus but was relocated after university officials revoked permission for the use of the venue at the last minute. Yonhap

Morse Tan, a Korean American former U.S. diplomat, has sparked controversy during his visit to Seoul this week after voicing support for conspiracy theories about election fraud in Korea and attempting to meet with detained former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Tan, who arrived in Seoul on Monday, was scheduled to meet Yoon on Wednesday at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, where the former president has been held since his re-arrest last Thursday while a special counsel looks into insurrection charges related to his Dec. 3 martial law declaration.

But the meeting was canceled after the special counsel placed a ban on visits for Yoon except for family and legal representatives, citing standard procedures for criminal suspects.

"Today’s planned meeting between former President Yoon and Ambassador Morse Tan will not take place," Yoon’s legal team said in a text message to reporters early Wednesday, adding that they were unaware of any further plans for a meeting.

Tan, who is senior executive director of the Center for Law and Government at Liberty University, previously held the position of ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice during the first Donald Trump administration, a senior post in the U.S. Department of State.

He is widely known for promoting claims that Korea’s recent elections, including the June 3 presidential vote, were rigged, alleging that China was involved in interference.

While Korean courts and the National Election Commission have repeatedly dismissed such allegations, the rumors continue to circulate among far-right groups.

Yoon cited those election fraud claims as part of his justification for declaring martial law, a move that led to his impeachment in April. Tan has publicly defended Yoon’s actions, aligning himself with some ultra-conservative groups in Korea.

The outspoken former U.S. diplomat now faces legal challenges in Seoul, after police said Tuesday that he is under investigation for allegedly defaming President Lee Jae Myung.

The probe follows a complaint filed by a Seoul-based conservative civic group, which accused Tan of making false statements about Lee during a public event in Washington on June 26.

Rep. Na Kyung-won, left, of the conservative People Power Party, speaks with Morse Tan, former U.S. ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice, during a seminar on the Korea-U.S. alliance at the National Assembly in Seoul, March 6. Newsis

At that event, Tan claimed that Lee Jae Myung, as a youth, was involved in sexual assault and murder. As a result, he was put in juvenile detention, and therefore was unable to attend junior high and high school.

His claim contradicts public records.

According to data submitted by Lee to the election watchdog ahead of the latest presidential election, he has previously been fined for several offenses, including false accusation, impersonating a public official and drunk driving. But there is no record supporting any claims of sexual or other violence.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul said that American citizens are subject to the laws of the foreign countries they visit, even when those laws differ from those of the United States.

"The U.S. Embassy provides consular assistance in accordance with U.S. and local laws, and based on our responsibilities under U.S. and international law," an embassy official told The Korea Times in response to an email inquiry about whether Tan is receiving consular support in the ongoing police investigation.

The official declined to comment further on the issue, citing privacy concerns.

Due to controversies surrounding his visit, Tan’s schedule in Seoul has faced multiple disruptions.

His planned lecture at Seoul National University’s Hoam Hall on Tuesday evening, organized by conservative group Truth Forum, was canceled at the last minute after university officials declined to provide the venue for use.

Tan instead delivered a speech near the campus gates, where he defended Yoon’s martial law as "a legitimate move to counter threats from North Korea and China."

His remarks prompted protests from a group of university students who gathered near the venue and demanded an official apology from the university for initially approving his lecture. The students also called on immigration authorities to ban Tan from reentering the country, accusing him of spreading disinformation and interfering in domestic politics.

In addition, Tan’s scheduled appearance at a North Korean human rights forum hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday was canceled just days earlier.