Former US diplomat indicted in defamation case against President Lee

Korean American professor Morse Tan speaks during a press conference outside SK Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul, June 24. Yonhap

Prosecutors have indicted Korean American professor Morse Tan on criminal defamation charges over false claims targeting President Lee Jae Myung.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (SCDPO) reportedly indicted Tan without detention Thursday on multiple defamation charges.

Tan, who served as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice under the first Trump administration, is accused of spreading false allegations during a press conference in Washington, D.C., last year. He allegedly claimed that Lee had been involved in a gang rape and murder of a girl when he was a juvenile and had been sent to a juvenile detention center.

Police had initially launched an investigation after receiving a criminal complaint from a civic group, but later closed the case in April without referring it to prosecutors, ruling that jurisdiction did not apply given that Tan is a foreign national and the statements were made in the U.S.

However, prosecutors requested that the investigation be reopened, arguing that local authorities have jurisdiction since the alleged victim, President Lee, resides in Korea.

Police requested that Tan appear for questioning after he came to Korea in late May, when he said he planned to monitor and verify what he claims as election fraud ahead of the June 3 local elections.

Tan declined to appear for questioning, prompting police to request a travel ban, citing the need for the investigation. The Ministry of Justice barred Tan from leaving the country until July 31.

He challenged the travel restriction and sought an injunction to lift the ban, but the court rejected his request. Police later questioned Tan behind closed doors for about two hours on June 25 before referring the case to prosecutors on July 1.

Known for promoting election fraud conspiracy theories, Tan has repeatedly claimed that China was behind alleged manipulation of Korean elections. He made several appearances at protests near a Seoul vote counting center in southern Seoul, calling for investigations into the country's electoral system.