Minerva Sues Bogus Blogger for Defamation

A controversial online pundit who became famous for prophetic economic postings will file a defamation complaint against a man who pretended to be him, Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday, quoting his lawyer.

Park Dae-sung, 30, better known by his Internet alias "Minerva," gained a reputation after predicting the collapse of U.S. lending giant Lehman Brothers. His following series criticizing the government's economic policies spread quickly through the Internet, raising curiosity about his identity.

Park was arrested at the end of last year on charges of spreading false rumors about the government's foreign currency policy. The prosecution argued his postings led to dollar hoarding, costing the government $2 billion in emergency money to stabilize the currency market. He was acquitted by a local court in Apri

l.

A leading monthly magazine, Shin Dong-A, published an interview with someone who claimed to be one of seven experts behind Minerva's postings, along with articles contributed by someone using the pen name Minerva, in December and February. The magazine later admitted that the contributor, identified only by the initial K, was not the real Minerva and apologized.

"K defamed Park's reputation by using the name Minerva illegally," Park's attorney was quoted as saying. "We request a police probe into K for defamation."

The lawyer said Park will lodge a separate complaint against an Internet cafe manager who allegedly published Park's articles without his consent.