▲ Moss Tan (Korean name Dan Hyun-myung), a former professor at Liberty University in the U.S., answers questions from reporters during a press conference held in front of the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 24.
A court has denied a request by Moss Tan (Korean name Dan Hyun-myung), a former professor at Liberty University in the U.S. who is under investigation for allegedly defaming President Lee Jae-myung, to suspend the effect of his second exit ban.
Judge Kim Tae-hwan of the 3rd Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court dismissed Tan's request for an injunction today.
Tan had filed the request seeking to suspend the effect of the exit ban until 30 days after the ruling on his main lawsuit, which seeks the cancellation of the second exit ban.
The court stated the reason for the dismissal, explaining, "While it appears that the second exit ban could cause irreparable harm to Tan and that there is an urgent need to suspend its effect to prevent such harm, suspending the measure could negatively impact public welfare."
Tan, who served as the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice during the first Trump administration in the U.S., is currently under investigation in South Korea for allegedly making false claims at a press conference held in the U.S. last year, suggesting that President Lee was involved in a murder case and was detained in a juvenile detention center during his youth.
He arrived in South Korea on May 28 but was placed under an exit ban after failing to comply with police summons.
On July 1, the police referred Tan to the prosecution without detention on charges including defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, and the prosecution lifted the existing exit ban and issued a new one.
Tan had previously filed a lawsuit and an injunction request against the first exit ban, but both were dismissed, leading his side to file an immediate appeal.
Furthermore, Tan filed a motion to recuse Judge Wi Ji-hyun of the 1st Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court—who is presiding over the main lawsuit regarding the first exit ban—arguing that a fair trial could not be expected, but this motion was also dismissed.
Tan's side has also filed an immediate appeal regarding this decision.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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