Korean-American Robert Kim, who was convicted in the U.S. on espionage charges, has demanded Seoul to acknowledge his contributions to the nation and restore his honor.

Kim made the remarks on Tuesday after completing a seven and-a-half year sentence handed down for spying for his native Korea. Since early June, he had been allowed to serve out the final weeks of his sentence under home arrest in Virginia, wearing an electronic monitoring device.

Upon his release, Kim told a group of reporters that the South Korean government has never acknowledged whether it had received his help or not. He added that his reputation would be restored only when they admit to having received his assistance.

The naturalized American citizen claimed the South Korean government ignored him when he most needed their help.

Kim was found guilty in 1997 of passing classified information on North Korea to South Korean diplomats in Washington. He had originally received a nine-year jail term, but the sentence was reduced in recognition of his exemplary behavior while in prison.