Morse Tan, accused of defaming President Lee Jae-myung, questioned by police in private yesterday

[Financial News] Police have belatedly revealed that they privately summoned and questioned Morse Tan, a professor at Liberty University in the United States, who is under suspicion of defaming President Lee Jae-myung.
Tan's lawyer said in a media notice on the 26th that Tan appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber Investigation Unit in Jongno District at 10 a.m. the previous day and underwent questioning as a suspect for about two hours.
The lawyer said, "The questioning was conducted in a question-and-answer format with counsel present," and added, "We judge that the likelihood of further questioning is not high." The lawyer also said, "We have sufficiently conveyed our position through a written statement from counsel," and added, "Unless there is a separate new measure, (Ambassador Tan) may leave the country freely, and the timing of his return is not something that will be determined by whether the police investigation continues or when it ends."
Tan had originally been scheduled to appear at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency around 10 a.m. on the 24th for questioning as a suspect, but he requested a change of date, citing concerns that his appearance could be exposed to the media.
Tan is under investigation over remarks he made at a press conference in the United States last year, in which he suggested that Lee had been involved in a murder case during his youth and had been sent to a juvenile detention center.
After Tan entered the country on the 28th of last month and failed to comply with a summons, police requested that the Ministry of Justice impose a travel ban, and the ministry ordered the restriction through the 30th.
If there is no separate extension of the travel ban, Tan will be able to leave the country starting in July.
In this regard, Tan's lawyer said he is preparing necessary legal action against any extension of the travel ban that does not meet legal requirements.
jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter