Controversy is stirring over the Bank of Korea's hike of the key interest rate to four and a-half percent on Thursday.

A daily ten or so postings on the bank's Web site bulletin have increased seven fold, mostly in protest of the rate raise.

Some netizens, or people actively involved in online communities, complained of the increased interest burden saying it's not right to use fiscal policies to rein in the real estate market.

But some sided with the bank saying its’ most important task is to curb inflation, and questioned if low rates from earlier on had actually helped the economy.

Financial experts are also split between calling the hike excessive and saying it was a good decision for the long run.

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