By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
An undercover Internet commentator, known as ``Minerva,'' is intensifying a stir in cyberspace, pitting the nation's already divisive conservative and progressive forces against each other.
The commentator, who became famous after he correctly predicted the fall of Lehman Brothers and the plunge of the won against the dollar, drew keen public attention Tuesday night as MBC TV's prime time news program mentioned Minerva.
As a closing comment, anchorwoman Park Hye-jin said, ``These days economic commentator Minerva is stirring disputes. He came to contribute an article to a monthly magazine and a TV show aired a program critical of him.'' In response, anchor Shin Kyung-min said, ``That's because his analysis is logical and more accurate than the government's. What we need is not to silence him but to listen to him.''
In the latest article posted on Daum's online community Agora, Minerva (Greek goddess of wisdom) said, ``I will shut my mouth because the nation ordered me to remain silent.'' He has become one of the most popular commentators with articles harshly criticizing the Lee Myung-bak administration's economic policies.
In a contributed article to the monthly magazine Shindonga's December edition published Monday, he predicted that the Korean economy would collapse and the benchmark Seoul index might fall to as low as 500 points. It closed at 1,116 points, Wednesday.
``If the government continues its economic polices in the face of this stagflation, the Korean economy will collapse before March,'' he said. ``The KOSPI will drop to as low as 500 points this year. Prices of real estate in southern Seoul will be halved and the ongoing recession will continue until 2010.''
On his personal information, he only said he had worked at a brokerage house and lived overseas. But he declined to elaborate further. He is reportedly in his 50s.
He has written on Agora since July. In writings posted on the cafe, he predicted the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis would hit the Korean economy, something that took place exactly three months later. He also predicted the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the plunge of the won.
Since then, his articles have been regarded as a ``textbook'' among economy-sensitive Internet users. Some even say his articles are much more trustworthy than the government. He has been given nicknames such as the ``oracle'' and ``Internet economic president.''
But his articles have become a great concern for the government as he has constantly painted a gloomy economic picture.
As his influence grows, even Finance Minister Kang Man-soo said he wants to see the hidden commentator in person to explain how well the administration prepares for the economy crisis.
``We have considered contacting him to give him information or an explanation about government policies to relieve his mistrust of us,'' the minister said in a meeting at the National Assembly.
The ministry initially guessed Minerva to be a high-ranking official under President Lee Myung-bak's liberal predecessor Roh Moo-hyun.
His latest article was posted on Agora on Nov. 13. In it, he said, ``I will stop writing for a while. A man threatened to kill me. I'm aware that police began tracing me.''
In the ``Sisa 360'' program that covers social and political issues, the state-run KBS TV reported that Minerva's predictions will further fan negative views about the Korean economy and could cause critical damage to the overall economy, citing some economists and government officials.
``Hiding behind the anonymity, Minerva is spreading groundless rumors and negative economic views,'' the program's anchor Kim Gyung-rhan.
pss@koreatimes.co.kr
|
