A provincial court upheld a ruling against the mayor of the city of Jeongeup for violating the Public Official Election Act with a fine that would cost him his seat.

The Gwangju High Court on Friday maintained the fine of ten million won, or over seven-thousand U.S. dollars, for Mayor Lee Hak-soo, concluding that the initial ruling by the Jeonju District Court in July was correct.

The high court ruled that the defendant employed remarks in debates and press releases that were tenuously related to the truth as a means of winning, such as the claim made between May 26 and 31 of last year that his opponent, Kim Min-young, engaged in real estate speculation.

Kim in turn denied the allegations and filed a complaint against Lee with the prosecution.