A Seoul court on Monday sentenced a man to eight months in prison for spreading rumors about the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship.

Still, the Seoul Central District Court suspended the sentence for Shin Sang-chul for two years, meaning that he will not have to serve prison time if he stays out of trouble during that period.

The court ruled that Shin defamed military officials by posting false information on the Internet that South Korea delayed the recovery of its warship the Cheonan to buy time to fabricate the cause of the sinking.

Shin, who had operated a Web site carrying columns and commentaries on political issues, has claimed that the ship ran aground and sank.

Shin could not be immediately reached for comment.

In 2010, the Cheonan sank near the disputed western sea border with North Korea, killing 46 South Korean sailors aboard.

A South Korean-led international investigation has found that North Korea torpedoed the warship, though Pyongyang has denied responsibility. (Yonhap)