South Korean court acquits 'Internet economic president'

SEOUL: A popular South Korean blogger, who was initially touted as an economic prophet for his dire predictions on the global economy, was cleared yesterday of spreading false information in a closely watched case that sparked heated debate over freedom of speech in cyberspace.

Park Dae-sung, 30, an unemployed Seoul resident, was acquitted by the Seoul Central District Court. Presiding Judge Yoo Young-hyeon said he could not see that Park "had the intention to undermine public interest" or that he "realized the contents of the articles in question that he wrote were completely false."

Park, writing anonymously under the pen name "Minerva" after the Greek goddess of wisdom, caused a sensation last year by denouncing the government's handling of the economy and making largely negative predictions.