Moss Tan Files Recusal Request in Lawsuit Against Travel Ban

Moss Tan, a professor at Liberty University in the U.S. accused of spreading false information about President Lee, has filed a recusal request against the court handling his lawsuit against a travel ban imposed by the Ministry of Justice.

The Seoul Administrative Court held its first hearing on June 10 regarding Tan's lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice's travel ban. However, the hearing was postponed after Tan's legal team claimed there were grounds for recusal.

Lee Ha-sang, Tan's attorney, pointed out that the ruling on the travel ban was delivered on June 4, the same day Tan was scheduled to depart. He argued, "This is an unlawful decision that effectively deprives him of the possibility of leaving the country."

Tan's legal team has also filed a complaint against the presiding judge for alleged dereliction of duty, stating, "The defendant is the presiding judge, raising concerns about a fair trial."

While the court acknowledged that there were delays in the proceedings, Tan's team emphasized the importance of receiving a fair trial. Consequently, the court decided to postpone the hearing to address the recusal request.

After the hearing, attorney Lee criticized the situation, stating, "The president, being the highest authority, has an obligation to directly address any questions about himself. Blocking Tan's departure under the absurd defamation framework and pursuing a lawsuit against him challenges the freedom of expression that citizens in free democracies should enjoy."

Moss Tan made statements last June suggesting that President Lee was involved in a murder case during his youth, which led to his imprisonment in a juvenile facility, preventing him from attending middle and high school. The police subsequently investigated Tan for defamation against the president.

Upon Tan's return to South Korea on May 28, police requested his attendance for an investigation, but he did not comply. The police then requested a travel ban from the Ministry of Justice, which was granted until June 30.

In response, Tan filed a lawsuit to cancel the travel ban and also requested a stay of execution. The court denied the stay request on June 4, citing that the public interest in the travel ban outweighed any harm to Tan.