US Professor Sent to Prosecutors for Alleged Defamation of President Lee Jae-myung

Moss Tan, an American professor at Liberty University, has been referred to prosecutors on charges of defaming President Lee Jae-myung through false statements. Tan, whose Korean name is Dan Hyun-myung, is accused of spreading fabricated information regarding President Lee's alleged involvement in criminal activities during his youth. Specifically, Tan is alleged to have falsely stated that President Lee was involved in violent crimes and was subsequently sent to a juvenile detention center while Tan was in the United States last year.

Tan, a prominent proponent of election fraud theories, arrived in South Korea on May 28, shortly before local elections. He reportedly visited protest sites, including one at the Olympic Park in Seoul. South Korean police initiated a travel ban on Tan after he failed to comply with their requests to appear for questioning following his arrival. He was eventually summoned and questioned for approximately two hours on June 25.

The investigation into Tan's alleged defamation began after the false claims gained traction. The police have forwarded the case to the prosecution, citing charges related to defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, as well as general defamation under the Criminal Act. The authorities are now awaiting further action from the prosecution regarding Tan's case.