A South Korean court has convicted a North Korean defector for attempting to re-defect to the North and hand over the personal information of fellow defectors to the North Korean authorities.

The 26-year old male was charged with uploading “enemy state material” onto the Internet and attempting to enter North Korea, a violation of South Korea’s controversial National Security Law. A district court in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province handed down a sentence of 18 months in prison and the termination of the man’s qualifications for the same period of time.

The court decreed that the man’s crime “could potentially bring harm to South Korean national security and the liberal democratic order."

However, "While he faces serious punishment, the court has taken into consideration that the crime was only in its preliminary stages, and that his attempt to reenter North Korea only came after his failure to adapt to life in South Korea, including ongoing divorce proceedings and a poor credit rating."

The defector, who was born in South Hamkyung Province, entered South Korea in 2010. He was arrested for attempting to carry a list of the names and phone numbers of 34 defectors into North Korea via China or Japan sometime between May and June this year.

From last December to January, he also uploaded music, videos and documents praising Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Eun on You Tube and his personal blog.

The man allegedly decided to return to the North after hearing that another defector couple who had recently re-defected were “warmly welcomed upon their return.”