Former Trump Ambassador on Trial in South Korea for Remarks Made on American Soil

Morse Tan, who served as U.S. ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice from 2019 to 2021 under President Trump and later as dean of Liberty University School of Law, appeared in Seoul Central District Court on October 17 and pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal defamation under South Korean law.

The charges stem from remarks Tan made in June 2025 at a National Press Club event in Washington, D.C., on South Korean election issues. He referenced contested reports that President Lee Jae Myung, as a minor, had been involved in a gang rape and murder and sent to juvenile detention, preventing completion of junior high. Tan has said he believes the content regarding Lee is true. A second charge relates to comments he made at a public event in South Korea in July 2025.

South Korean prosecutors say they reviewed Lee’s juvenile records, which are not publicly disclosed except for judicial or investigative purposes, and determined the claims false. Tan’s lawyer argued that South Korean courts lack jurisdiction over a U.S. citizen for speech made on U.S. soil and that there was no disclosure of false facts, awareness of falsity, or intent to defame. Tan told the court he pleaded not guilty because he believes Lee is guilty and described the proceeding as political.

Tan has been under an exit ban since arriving in South Korea in late May 2025 as a private election monitor. Courts have upheld the restriction, citing flight risk. He has said the ban caused him to miss his grandmother’s funeral. House Foreign Affairs members, including Subcommittee Chair Young Kim, Rep. Brian Mast, and former Chair Chris Smith, have written to South Korean officials raising concerns about free expression, due process, and the treatment of an American citizen for speech made in the United States.

The State Department has said it stands ready to raise concerns when foreign governments use criminal defamation to punish U.S. citizens for political speech made in the United States but has declined comment on the specifics of Tan’s case. Mainstream U.S. outlets have given the case limited attention despite months of congressional involvement and coverage in Christian publications.

Tan has called the case a show trial that could result in up to seven years in prison. South Korean officials maintain the matter is being handled according to domestic law and due process.