South Korea charges former US diplomat with defaming Lee Jae Myung

South Korean prosecutors have charged Korean-American professor Morse Tan for criminal defamation over false claims targeting President Lee Jae Myung.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office reportedly indicted Tan without detention on Thursday on multiple defamation charges.Tan, who served as the US ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice under the first Donald Trump administration, is accused of spreading false allegations during a press conference in Washington last year. He allegedly claimed that Lee had been involved in a gang rape and murder of a girl when he was younger and had been sent to a juvenile detention centre.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 was a foreign national and the statements were made in the US.South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his wife, Kim Hea-kyung, arrive to attend the 36th Nato Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7. Photo: ReutersHowever, prosecutors requested that the investigation be reopened, arguing that local authorities have jurisdiction since the alleged victim, President Lee, lives in South Korea.Police requested that Tan appear for questioning after he arrived in South Korea in late May, when he said he planned to monitor and verify what he claimed 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 South Korean elections. He made several appearances at protests near a vote counting centre in southern Seoul, calling for investigations into the country’s electoral system.Further Reading