Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large Morse Tan is currently under a “travel ban” preventing him from leaving South Korea amid his criticism of its election integrity and alleged defamation of the president, multiple outlets reported.
Tan had been visiting South Korea to monitor election fraud, the South Korean outlet Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday. Tan has requested that South Korean judicial officials invalidate the travel ban that was placed on him after he was accused of defaming the country’s president, Yonhap News Agency and Chosun Ilbo reported, citing judicial officials.
“The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” a State Department spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The Department takes seriously any concerns that U.S. citizens are subject to exit bans without a fair and transparent process to resolve them.”
Tan has previously claimed the election installing South Korean President Lee Jae-myung involved fraud, Yonhap News Agency and the Korea Herald reported. Lee has faced five criminal trials, all of which were suspended after he became president, with the country’s courts ruling a trial would interfere with constitutional duties, Yonhap News Agency and the Korea Herald reported.
The country’s president has been accused of funneling millions to North Korea in secret between 2019 and 2020, the outlets reported, citing South Korean prosecutors.
“We understand that the relevant authorities are conducting an investigation in accordance with applicable laws and procedures,” the South Korean Embassy in Washington told the DCNF.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the White House and South Korea’s National Election Commission did not respond to a request for comment. The DCNF also attempted to contact Tan through Liberty University, where he is the dean of its law school.
Tan was appointed as U.S. ambassador-at-large for Global Criminal Justice in 2019 under the first Trump administration, with his tenure ending when the administration left office on Jan. 20, 2021, according to State Department records. Tan led an extensive career as an accomplished scholar before he was appointed ambassador by President Donald Trump in 2019, according to his biography on the State Department website.
“The Department follows reported exit ban cases and presses for due process for U.S. citizens overseas,” a State Department spokesperson told the DCNF. “The decision to lift an exit ban ultimately lies with the foreign government. Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time.”
‘Anti-American Criminal Gang’
Lee, a left-leaning Democratic Party politician, has also been building ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Lee held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 1, 2025, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tan has been outspoken regarding election irregularities in South Korea, American Greatness reported. He also observed connections between South Korea’s Minjoo Party and the Chinese Communist Party, according to the outlet.
“South Korean elections are as corrupt as those of Venezuela,” Tan told American Greatness. “It’s not a government we’re dealing with here. We’re dealing with an anti-American criminal gang.”
Tan filed the lawsuit to overturn the travel ban on June 1, Yonhap reported, citing South Korean judicial officials.
This is not the only instance of South Korea’s legal system being used against Americans and American interests.
South Korean officials raided the command-and-control center of the U.S. military’s Osan Air Base to obtain information on U.S. Air Force flights for a domestic investigation, The Korea Times reported on July 21.
The South Korean officials were looking for information on drone missions that flew over Pyongyang during October and November 2024, according to The Korea Times.
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