A Seoul court has ruled against a former prisoner of war (POW) who sought national merit status for having been forced to work in a North Korean coal mine.

The Seoul Administrative Court ruled Wednesday that the former POW, identified only by his surname Yang, is not eligible for the distinction, declaring that the national merit is awarded only to those injured in battle.

The court also said that even though Yang was forced to work at North Korea's Aoji Mine, the Defense Ministry speculates that he could have committed acts hostile to the South Korean government during his 30 years in the communist state and therefore cannot be given national merit status.

Since defecting from the North in 2004, Yang has been living on a meager retirement allowance and pension as he is registered as a third-grade POW.