Blogger acquittal shows South Korean appreciation for freedom of speech Commentary
Blogger acquittal shows South Korean appreciation for freedom of speech
Edited by:

Kyu Ho Youm [Jonathan Marshall First Amendment Chair, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon]: "A Korean judge's acquittal of the blogger Park Dae-sung (aka "Minerva") in Seoul is a welcome development in freedom of speech and the press in Korea, one of the most-wired nations in the world.

There should have been no charges against Park. Few doubt that the government's claim that he has violated the telecommunication law was politically motivated.

Many discerning Koreans have been dismayed with their government's foolhardy pursuit of the flimsy charges against Park. This is all the more true, given that the conservative administration of President Lee Myung-bak should have known better.

Meanwhile, the Korean court's decision against the government showcases that Korea is a rule-of-law nation. The court's interpretation of the applicable law is more prosaic than inspiring. And the opinion is less than reader-friendly. Nonetheless, the Korean court considered the value of Park's well-intentioned blogging to Korean society while rejecting the government's overly sweeping arguments.

The court opinion in the Minerva case is significant to free speech in general and Internet communication in particular because it is refreshingly sensitive and sensible."

Opinions expressed in JURIST Commentary are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JURIST's editors, staff, donors or the University of Pittsburgh.
THIS DAY @ LAW

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On September 20, 1884, a group of American suffragists formed the Equal Rights Party in San Francisco, dedicated to "equal and exact justice to every class of our citizens, without distinction of color, sex, or nationality" and in support of the proposition that "the laws of the several states be so amended that women will be recognized as voters, and their property-rights made equal with that of the male population, to the end that they may become self-supporting - rather than a dependent class." Read the full text of the first platform of the Equal Rights Party. The party immediately nominated Mrs. Belva Lockwood for US President and Marietta Snow for Vice-President. Grover Cleveland won that election, but Lockwood was included in a number of presidential primaries and is recorded to have won some 4149 votes from the male voters of the time.

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Suffragists formed Equal Rights Party, named Presidential candidate

On September 20, 1884, a group of suffragists formed the Equal Rights Party in San Francisco, dedicated to "equal and exact justice to every class of our citizens, without distinction of color, sex, or nationality" and in support of the proposition that "the laws of the several states be so amended that women will be recognized as voters, and their property-rights made equal with that of the male population, to the end that they may become self-supporting - rather than a dependent class."
Read the full text of the first platform of the Equal Rights Party.

The party immediately nominated Mrs. Belva Lockwood for US President and Marietta Snow for Vice-President. Grover Cleveland won that election, but Lockwood was included in a number of presidential primaries, and is recorded to have won some 4149 votes from the male voters of the time.