Minerva acquitted by Korean court
2009/04/20 15:23The Seoul Central District Court acquitted Park Dae-sung who was better known as Minerva on charges he spread false rumours over the Internet:
When considering all the circumstances, it is hard to conclude that Park was aware the information was misleading when he wrote the postings," Justice Yoo Young-hyun of the Seoul Central District Court said in the ruling.
The judge also said that even if Park had realized that the information was false, it cannot be concluded that he had the intent to hurt public interest, considering the circumstances at the time or the special characteristics of the foreign exchange market.
New York Times: Economic Blogger Who Angered Seoul Is Acquitted:
The arrest of Park Dae-sung in January and his ensuing trial on charges of spreading false data in public with a harmful intent — a crime punishable by as much as five years in prison — prompted debate about how much freedom of expression should be tolerated in cyberspace in this extensively wired country.
Futurize Korea: Internet financial pundit Minerva arrested (January 11, 2009)
