The Supreme Court has upheld a guilty verdict and a suspended sentence for Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, who was convicted of abusing his power to reinstate fired teachers. 

The top court delivered its ruling Thursday, after Cho challenged his 18-month prison term, suspended for two years, under the State Public Officials Act.

Cho, Seoul's first-ever three-term education chief, has now lost his position with some two years left in his term, and a by-election will take place October 16.

He was indicted in 2018 for allegedly abusing his authority over personnel appointments by ordering a special hiring process to reinstate five teachers who had been dismissed.

His case was the first to be handled by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, launched in January 2021.