A former Trump administration diplomat remains unable to leave South Korea while facing criminal charges over statements he made in Washington, D.C. 

The case has drawn Republican demands for his return and raised questions about how far a foreign government can reach into American political speech.

Morse H. Tan, who served as U.S. ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice during Trump’s first administration, faces a hearing on October 16, according to The Christian Post. Its October 13 report said the travel restriction also prevented him from attending his 103-year-old grandmother’s funeral in the United States.

Morse Tan is an American citizen and a former U.S. Ambassador who is currently barred from leaving South Korea and is facing a hearing on October 16th that could land him in a South Korean jail cell.

No American should face this. We urge Washington to act without delay, and that… pic.twitter.com/YP629KFAgR

— Lucas Miles (@lucasmiles) October 14, 2026

“I really wanted to be there to honor her,” Tan said during a recorded eulogy delivered in South Korea. He has been subject to successive exit bans since arriving in late May to observe elections.

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The charges concern allegations Tan repeated about South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s youth, involving rape, murder and juvenile detention. Those allegations should not be treated as established facts: AFP reviewed court rulings and official disclosures and reported that the claims were baseless.

The jurisdiction dispute helps explain why the case has become controversial. The Korea Times reported that police initially closed the investigation because Tan was a foreign national speaking in the U.S.

Prosecutors subsequently requested that it be reopened, arguing that Korean authorities had jurisdiction because the alleged victim resides in Korea.

Tan was indicted without detention in July. An exit ban prevents departure from the country; it does not mean he is imprisoned. In a July ruling upholding the restriction, the Seoul Administrative Court expressed concern that he might not return for proceedings and cited his lack of cooperation with earlier questioning.

Republican lawmakers Young Kim, Brian Mast, Michael Cloud and Christopher Smith challenged his treatment in an August 13 letter. They argued that prosecuting statements made by a private American citizen in the U.S. raised serious concerns about freedom of expression and due process, and urged Seoul to lift the ban.

The State Department told The Christian Post that it takes concerns about exit bans lacking a fair and transparent resolution process seriously.