Moss Tun, former Ambassador-at-Large for International Criminal Justice [YouTube Capture]

The court has rejected the request for a stay of execution of the travel ban for Moss Tun (Korean name: Dan Hyun-myung), former Ambassador-at-Large for International Criminal Justice (currently a professor at Liberty University in the United States), who is currently under police investigation for defamation charges against Lee Jae-myung.

On the 4th, Chief Judge Wi Ji-hyun of the Administrative Division 1 at the Seoul Administrative Court dismissed the application for a stay of execution of the travel ban filed by Professor Moss Tun against the Ministry of Justice (Case Number: 2026Ah12129).

Professor Tun was investigated for alleged violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. (defamation), among other charges, after he raised suspicions at a press conference held in Washington D.C., USA, in June 2025, stating that "China intervened in South Korea's fraudulent elections" and "Lee Jae-myung was involved in a violent crime during his youth and was sent to a juvenile reformatory."

The police, who initiated an investigation into Professor Tun in July last year, requested his appearance when he entered the country on the 28th of last month, stating, "I will monitor and verify South Korea's fraudulent elections" ahead of the June 3rd local elections. However, when Professor Tun submitted a written statement explaining his absence and did not cooperate with the investigation, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency applied for a travel ban to the Ministry of Justice on the 1st. Consequently, the Ministry of Justice issued a travel ban on Professor Tun for one month until June 30th.

In response, Professor Tun filed an application for a stay of execution along with a lawsuit to revoke the travel ban, which the court did not approve, citing that the public interest was greater.

The court ruled, "While the urgent need to prevent irreparable harm to the applicant, whose place of residence and employment is in the United States, is partially recognized, and the police investigation should not be unnecessarily prolonged," it stated, "even considering the applicant's damages or disadvantages, it is appropriate to prioritize the public welfare that is to be achieved by maintaining the effect of the disposition." In other words, the court determined that the public interest in "the appropriate exercise of national penal power through criminal investigation" is greater.

The court further explained the reason for dismissal, stating, "Due to the nature of this disposition, it would effectively lose its meaning if the subject were to depart and move to a region beyond the jurisdiction of the Republic of Korea," and "there is a concern that lifting the travel ban while the investigation continues would have a significant impact on public welfare."

Immediately after the court's dismissal decision, Professor Tun's legal team filed an immediate appeal, a procedure for challenging the decision. Meanwhile, the first hearing for the main lawsuit seeking the revocation of the travel ban, filed by Professor Tun, is scheduled for the 10th.

Reporter Lim Yo-hee