Former U.S. Diplomat Morse Tan Faces Criminal Defamation Trial in South Korea

Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Morse H. Tan is scheduled to face his first trial hearing in South Korea this Friday. Tan, a legal scholar who served during the first Trump administration, has been prohibited from leaving the country since June. The legal action stems from a criminal defamation charge filed in July regarding comments Tan made at a 2025 event in Washington, D.C., where he discussed allegations concerning South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s past.

Tan was initially detained after traveling to South Korea in May to observe local elections amid concerns regarding potential irregularities and foreign interference. Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback has publicly expressed shock at the situation, calling for U.S. government intervention. Brownback characterized the treatment of a former American diplomat by a democratic nation as unexpected. While Tan remains under an exit ban that has been extended through at least November, he continues to express skepticism regarding the South Korean judicial process and the official investigations into the allegations he previously cited.