Dear editor,
I've always read Michael Breen's commentaries and have considered him to be one of the most insightful minds when it comes to analyzing how certain issues are resolved here in Korea.
However, I couldn't help but react with dismay over his April 24 column ``Prosecutors Protecting Nation?''
I would have expected Breen to be the first one to advocate ``due process'' when either investigating or prosecuting criminal offenders, but in the aforementioned column he seems to yearn for the good old days when prosecutors could seize and ransack people's property at will in the name of national security.
Just like everybody else, Breen seems to be missing the most vital aspect of this whole issue of blogger Park Dae-sung, better known as Minerva, who was acquitted of charges of spreading false financial and economic information via the Internet.
What is it?
How could a government with officials, who have all allegedly graduated from prestigious universities and are considered to be ``intellectual,'' be misled by information on the net and sustain a huge financial loss?
Freedom of speech has always been a thorny issue, but in general, advanced countries should always lean toward expanding the freedom, not restricting it.
Breen seems to be under the impression that crazy ``netizens" are the cause of the degeneration of Korean society. But no, that's not it at all.
It's the pure and simple boneheadedness of arrogant government officials who refuse to undertake proper ``due diligence" that makes Korea look bad.
Instead of admitting to their mistake, they decide to take out their frustration on Minerva, who, I will remind, never force-fed any of his information to anyone.
I've lived in Korea nearly 11 years and I'm still amazed by how diligent Korean people manage to put up with continued government incompetence.
Lee Cheun-heui
Financial consultant
Yongsan-gu, Seoul