Well so much for Minerva staying out of the lime light for a while:

A noted self-taught economist in Korea, who was once arrested on charges of spreading false rumors but later acquitted, predicts a mini-bubble in the Seoul property market this year.

Park Dae-sung, better known by his pen name, “Minerva,” said Thursday that rich liquidity will end up causing an upsurge of real estate prices in Seoul.

“Apartment values in Seoul and the surrounding areas are likely to rise to double-digit rates late this year as ample liquidity creates bubbles in the property market,” Park said. “The range will be between 10 percent and 15 percent to generate a mini-bubble. In other areas, however, real estate prices will remain flat, by and large.”

The aftermath of the mini-bubble might be different depending on the government’s policies and global economic recovery, according to Park.

“We may experience different paths beyond 2010. Since there are many factors to be determined, it is difficult to project what will lie ahead next year accurately,” he said.   [Korea Times]

Minerva said he would keep a low profile and never blog again after his arrest for spreading false internet rumors.  Well that view didn’t last very long because according to the article Minerva has another blog set up and ready to go.