The nation's top court has sentenced a 54-year-old pastor to six months in prison for praising North Korea in violation of South Korea's national security law.

Upholding a lower court's decision, the Supreme Court convicted Park Kwang-hyuk of supporting the authoritarian regime on the Web site of a pro-North Korean online community from 2010.

The top court agreed with the lower court's judgment that Park's posts on the Web site pose a clear threat to national security as they can be distributed to many people.

Still, the jail term was suspended for two years. The Ulsan District Court said there is a lack of evidence to say Park tried to preach his thoughts at the church. It also took into consideration that he had no other criminal records.

South Koreans are prohibited from supporting or praising the North in any way under the National Security Law. They are also banned from joining a pro-Pyongyang organization or having unauthorized contact with North Korea. (Yonhap)