South Korean acquitted for following North on Twitter

North Korea joined the global social media networks in 2010 and has posted more than 17,500 tweets since then, mostly criticising its major foes - South Korea and the US - and praising its ruling Kim family. - AFP/File / Daniel Sorabji

Seoul (AFP) - A South Korean court said on Thursday it had acquitted a man of sympathising with North Korea for following its Twitter account, arguing that simply reading Pyongyang's social media posts did not violate Seoul's security laws.

Seoul prosecutors earlier charged the 73-year-old journalist, identified only by his surname Lee, with "distributing" materials that praised the communist North by following Pyongyang's official Twitter account, @uriminzok.