18-month sentence for South Korean blogger

Headline Legal News

Prosecutors demanded an 18-month sentenceMonday for a popular South Korean blogger who is accused of spreadingfalse financial information in a case that has ignited a debate aboutfreedom of speech in cyberspace.


The 30-year-old blogger, a fierce critic of government economic policy,was arrested and indicted in January after he wrote that the governmenthad banned major financial institutions and trade businesses frombuying U.S. dollars.

Prosecutorshave said the posting was not only inaccurate, but it had affected theforeign exchange market and undermined the nation's credibility.

Butopposition parties and critics have claimed the arrest is aimed atsilencing criticism of the government and restricts online freedom ofspeech.

Seoul District Court spokesman Kwon Tae-young saidprosecutors demanded 18 months in prison for the blogger, identified asPark Dae-sung, and the court is scheduled to deliver a verdict on April20.

The charge carries up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($38,000).

Theblogger, known by his pen name "Minerva" after the Greek goddess ofwisdom, had rocketed to fame after some of his predictions, includingthe collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers, proved to becorrect.

Related listings

  • El Segundo Ponzi Scheme Targets Latinos

    El Segundo Ponzi Scheme Targets Latinos

    Headline Legal News 04/15/2009

    An El Segundo woman took $23 million in a Ponzi scheme that targeted Latinos, the SEC says in Los Angles Federal Court. Clelia A. Flores and her business, Maximum Return Investments, took the money from more than 150 people in seven states, by "guara...

  • Tainted Chinese drywall shows up in Katrina homes

    Tainted Chinese drywall shows up in Katrina homes

    Headline Legal News 04/14/2009

    Thomas Stone and his wife rebuilt after their home was flooded by sixfeet of water during Hurricane Katrina, never dreaming they would facethe agony of tearing it apart all over again. They tapped Lauren Stone's 401(k) retirement savings and saved $1...

  • Differing Views in GOP Voting

    Differing Views in GOP Voting

    Headline Legal News 04/11/2009

    The GOP's struggle over its future and the party's fitful steps to attract minorities are on full display in the differing responses of Republican governors to a major Supreme Court case on voting rights. The court will hear arguments April 29 about ...

Any contracts or any transactions can go awry at any time

We know your business means a lot to you and want to understand all the aspects of your business so that we can help you in the best ways possible. We don’t discriminate depending on the size of your company. Our mission statement is to represent all business owners and entrepreneurs by navigating them through the rough waters of business litigation and guiding them to success.

We are attorneys who want to make sure we understand your business objectives and goals before we start providing you with legal counsel individualized to your business. We know what it means to be dedicated to your business. After all, we are a business as well. And just like you, we want to provide the best service we can to our clients.

Any contracts or any transactions can go awry at any time. Sometimes, making important business decisions without legal help from business attorneys could cost you your business.We don’t want you or your business to be misconstrued by anyone. Our attorneys make sure that we communicate with you often to make sure we are giving you the legal guidance you need at all times. We make sure we are responsive in a timely-manner with every single one of our clients to help them identify risks and prevent legal battles before they arise.

Business News