The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an appeal against the one-year jail term imposed on a 35-year-old South Korean man convicted of placing a fake explosive with a warning in Arabic at the country's main airport early this year.

According to lower court rulings, the defendant, who is identified by his last name Yoo, was found guilty of disrupting normal operations at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Jan. 29.

He left the fake explosive made with two butane canisters taped to a water bottle, as well as the message in a men's bathroom in the airport. The message, printed in Arabic on half an A4-size sheet of paper, read: "This is the last warning to you. God will punish."

In handing down the decision, the top court said Yoo was not physically or mentally ill when he committed the crime.

The Incheon District Court and the court's appeals department sentenced him to eight months and one year, respectively in prison, in May and September. The appeal's department dismissed his claim that he was mentally incompetent when he committed the crime and ruled in favor of the prosecution which said the original ruling was too light.

Yoo's criminal act caused one of the airport's arrival halls to be cordoned off for two hours, leading to a delay in arrivals and handling of some 3,000 passengers from 17 planes that had to be diverted elsewhere.

The suspect was arrested five days after the incident took place. The man, who had majored in viola during graduate school, said he harbored discontent towards society as he had been unemployed for a long time. (Yonhap)