Dear editor,

What is going on with freedom of expression in Korea? I am getting an earful of comments from many Toronto personalities. It was wrong to arrest the man, nicknamed ``Minerva.'' He is doing no harm. He has opinions and he expresses them.

That is what a democracy is all about. To my knowledge, he is not a public danger. He is not a terrorist nor a criminal and many of his predictions are quite true, not false.

This situation is an embarrassment to Korea and places you in the category of a developing country with a dictatorship as government. It is not good for Korea's reputation abroad and can only hurt its interests. There is not much that the authorities can do to regulate the situation in cyberspace.

It is imperative that the prosecution release Minerva at once with apologies and instead concentrate its energies fighting crime and pornography on the Internet.

It is true that the Korean economy is sinking and not enough is being done to keep it afloat. Cleaning the rivers is an excellent idea but it is too little, too late.

I have faith in the courage, determination and resilience of the Korean people. I am not so sure about the Korean government. I am just reflecting to you what is being said in Canada.

The President should not let it be known that he fears a blogger who happens to disagree with him. This situation is ridiculous.

As far as the economy is concerned, what you are experiencing is a global phenomenon. We are in the midst of another form of depression. The good news is that there are ways out of it.

Economists all over the world, and I know a few, are trying to find solutions to this nightmarish problem; policing the airwaves is not the right solution.

If there were more freedom of the press in Korea, netizens would not flock to unstable portals of information. What is forbidden is always more attractive than just plain news. An elected President is supposed to listen to his countrymen, not control them in an undemocratic manner.

Romy Kerwin
Toronto, Canada
rkerwin0413@rogers.com