Police Seek Travel Ban for US Professor Accused of Defaming President Lee Jae-myung

South Korean police have sought to prevent a US professor, identified as Moss T. (Korean name Dan Hyun-myung), from leaving the country as they investigate allegations of defamation against President Lee Jae-myung. The request for an overseas travel ban comes just five days after the professor returned to South Korea on May 28, allowing investigators to resume their suspended probe. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's cyber investigation unit filed the request with the Ministry of Justice on June 1. Professor T. is accused of falsely claiming during a press conference in Washington last June that President Lee was involved in a violent crime during his youth and was subsequently sent to a juvenile detention center. He is also suspected of repeating similar remarks during a visit to South Korea in July of the same year. Upon his arrival on May 28, Professor T. announced his intention to engage in activities with the "Korea-US Joint Election Monitoring Group," meeting with political figures and visiting election commission offices. However, he has reportedly refused to cooperate with police summonses, citing reasons for absence and submitting a request to recuse the investigation team. Seoul Police Chief Park Jeong-bo stated that despite the professor's non-cooperation, the police will proceed with necessary investigations according to procedure. Professor T., a Korean-American, previously served as the US State Department's Ambassador-at-Large for Criminal Justice Issues during the first Trump administration and has promoted conspiracy theories about Chinese Communist Party involvement in South Korean elections.