Park Dae-sung |
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
A Korean blogger who was arrested in early January on charges of spreading false rumors but was acquitted in April will resume analyzing the economy and predicting the future.
Park Dae-sung, better known by his pen name ``Minerva,'' told The Korea Times Monday that he will begin writing again next month.
``I am in contact with newspapers and journals to contribute my articles to them. It's possible, they will print my works next month,'' Park said.
``In addition, I want to manage a blog where I will present my analysis of the economy. Toward that end, I am now studying economics,'' the 31-year-old said.
The self-taught Internet pundit garnered loyal followers here after precisely predicting the sharp depreciation of the Korean won as well as the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
But he was apprehended on Jan. 8 on charges of spreading rumors that the government forced banks to stop buying dollars last December.
Some bureaucrats, including then-Strategy and Finance Minister Kang Man-soo, contended at that time that Park's claim prompted a dollar-buying spree.
A day after he was apprehended, the court approved an arrest warrant and rejected Park's plea to reconsider his arrest. But eventually, the court vindicated Park while the prosecution appealed the decision.
Park also revealed his hope to study economics in the United States.
``Nothing has been decided yet. But I am currently talking to some universities or community colleges in Virginia, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago,'' Park said.
Park did not study economics in university, but learned about the subject through books and Web sites.
When asked whether it was difficult, Park said ``If you read the books just once, they would be tough to understand. But if you read them once or twice more, they are not that difficult.''
While studying on the opposite side of the Pacific, Park said that he wants to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama or Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
``I read the biography of Barack Obama earlier this year twice in prison. I badly want to meet him if possible,'' Park said.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
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yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
