Tablo-bashing blogger challenges legal action on Internet defamation
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The owner of anti-Tablo website has challenged the police decision to arrest him, amid a national cyber controversy over the pop singer's academic credentials.
"Whatbecomes", the nickname of a blogger who runs a website for those who doubt Tablo's academic history, announced late Friday that he would be shutting down the website. "Our web forum is now facing difficulty due to the announcement by police (to seek arrest on me). I am temporarily quitting my role as manager of this website", he said in a note at the website.
He is now sought after by Interpol as South Korean police confirmed Friday that Tablo, the leader of Korean hip-hip band Epic High, graduated from Stanford University.
Police plan to question bloggers who instigated the dispute, including "whatbecomes".
Yet he has challenged the police decision: "I am a Korean who holds American citizenship. I am not caught in the act of committing a crime either. Nonetheless the (South Korean) police want to arrest me by coordinating with Interpol. Is defamation constituting an international crime?" he asked.
Police identified whatbecomes as a 57-year-old Korean-American, surnamed Kim, who now lives in the U.S.
"I am very upset because I am being treated as a criminal already even before a trial", he said.
The investigation opened in August after the 30-year-old singer whose Korean name is Lee Sun-woong filed a libel suit against 22 bloggers who claimed the singer falsely promoted himself as a graduate of prestigious Stanford University.
"Whatbecomes", the nickname of a blogger who runs a website for those who doubt Tablo's academic history, announced late Friday that he would be shutting down the website. "Our web forum is now facing difficulty due to the announcement by police (to seek arrest on me). I am temporarily quitting my role as manager of this website", he said in a note at the website.
He is now sought after by Interpol as South Korean police confirmed Friday that Tablo, the leader of Korean hip-hip band Epic High, graduated from Stanford University.
Police plan to question bloggers who instigated the dispute, including "whatbecomes".
Yet he has challenged the police decision: "I am a Korean who holds American citizenship. I am not caught in the act of committing a crime either. Nonetheless the (South Korean) police want to arrest me by coordinating with Interpol. Is defamation constituting an international crime?" he asked.
Police identified whatbecomes as a 57-year-old Korean-American, surnamed Kim, who now lives in the U.S.
"I am very upset because I am being treated as a criminal already even before a trial", he said.
The investigation opened in August after the 30-year-old singer whose Korean name is Lee Sun-woong filed a libel suit against 22 bloggers who claimed the singer falsely promoted himself as a graduate of prestigious Stanford University.
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