“Who would pay for Trump ally?”: “Election Fraud” conspiracy theorists feud over money

Former U.S. State Department official Morse Tan, who entered South Korea claiming he would monitor alleged election fraud, has remained in the country for more than two months after being barred from leaving. As the cost of his prolonged stay has mounted, a public dispute has erupted among election fraud conspiracy theorists over who should pay his living expenses.
Yang Jeong-jin reports.
Morse Tan arrived in South Korea in late May, saying he intended to monitor the country’s election for alleged fraud.
However, he was later barred from leaving the country after failing to cooperate with an investigation regarding to defamation and disinformation.
Tan subsequently lost a lawsuit seeking to overturn the extension of his travel ban, meaning he will be unable to leave South Korea until at least August 15.
As his stay dragged on, the issue of money came to the forefront.
The dispute began after Hwang Kyo-ahn’s Liberty and Innovation Party and conservative YouTuber Jeon Han-gil offered conflicting accounts over who had agreed to cover Tan’s living expenses.
Kim Sang-hyun, a senior member of Liberty and Innovation, said, “Mr. Jeon originally agreed to pay half of the expenses, but yesterday we were informed that he had decided not to contribute.”
Jeon rejected the claim, saying, “They’re saying, unilaterally, that I broke my promise and refused to provide support. That makes me look like the bad guy.”
Meanwhile, Unjeong Chamjon Church, which has participated in the “Yoon Again” rallies, launched a separate fundraising campaign for Tan, further escalating tensions with Liberty and Innovation.
Pastor Go Byeong-chan of Unjeong Chamjon Church said, “Ambassador Tan has been paying all of his own expenses. One organization had intended to cover them, but because it’s a political party, it could become entangled in political maneuvering.”
Liberty and Innovation immediately pushed back, accusing the church of using Tan to solicit donations.
Kim said, “Ambassador Tan has suddenly been reduced to begging for money. The real problem is that it makes it appear as though Hwang Kyo-ahn is the one forcing Ambassador Tan to beg.”
The church responded by formally commissioning Tan as a missionary at the end of last month and announcing that it would deliver donations directly to him.
Liberty and Innovation then declared that further dialogue was impossible and severed ties with Tan as well.
The groups that had united behind Tan in promoting election fraud conspiracy theory have now fallen into public infighting over the financial burden of his prolonged stay in South Korea.