.Seoul court refuses to release blogger on bail
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - A popular blogger arrested for allegedly posting false economic information on an Internet discussion site was denied bail, his lawyer said Friday.
The 31-year-old blogger, who went by the handle "Minerva" after the Greek goddess of wisdom, rocketed to fame in South Korea for his startlingly accurate predictions about the economy, including the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
But prosecutors said he went too far in saying the government had banned major financial institutions and trade businesses from purchasing U.S. dollars in an apparent move to shore up the local currency, calling it inaccurate information that disrupted the foreign exchange market.
The blogger, identified in court documents as Park Dae-sung, was detained last week in an arrest that has ignited a debate about freedom of speech in cyberspace in South Korea, one of the world's most wired and tech-savvy nations.
In some 100 postings on bulletin boards on a popular Internet portal last year, "Minerva" denounced the government's handling of the economy and made predictions, largely negative, for the future. His writings were sprinkled with jargon that suggested he was an economic expert, and his identity was a hot topic of discussion in South Korea.
Prosecutors say the suspect is actually an unemployed Seoul resident who studied economics on his own after graduating from a vocational high school and junior college with a major in information and communication.
Judge Hou Man of Seoul Central District Court ruled Thursday that the suspect must remain in custody, saying he was at risk of fleeing or destroying evidence, defense lawyer Park Chan-jong said.
The lawyer denied the suspect bore any intention of harming the public. If convicted of spreading false information, the blogger faces up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($36,360).
MyWay
Free Park Now!
The 31-year-old blogger, who went by the handle "Minerva" after the Greek goddess of wisdom, rocketed to fame in South Korea for his startlingly accurate predictions about the economy, including the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
But prosecutors said he went too far in saying the government had banned major financial institutions and trade businesses from purchasing U.S. dollars in an apparent move to shore up the local currency, calling it inaccurate information that disrupted the foreign exchange market.
The blogger, identified in court documents as Park Dae-sung, was detained last week in an arrest that has ignited a debate about freedom of speech in cyberspace in South Korea, one of the world's most wired and tech-savvy nations.
In some 100 postings on bulletin boards on a popular Internet portal last year, "Minerva" denounced the government's handling of the economy and made predictions, largely negative, for the future. His writings were sprinkled with jargon that suggested he was an economic expert, and his identity was a hot topic of discussion in South Korea.
Prosecutors say the suspect is actually an unemployed Seoul resident who studied economics on his own after graduating from a vocational high school and junior college with a major in information and communication.
Judge Hou Man of Seoul Central District Court ruled Thursday that the suspect must remain in custody, saying he was at risk of fleeing or destroying evidence, defense lawyer Park Chan-jong said.
The lawyer denied the suspect bore any intention of harming the public. If convicted of spreading false information, the blogger faces up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($36,360).
MyWay
Free Park Now!
posted by madtom at 8:49 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home