The Supreme Court has upheld the 1 1/2-year prison sentence for Cho Se-hyeong, an 85-year-old notorious burglar, convicted of stealing again just a month after being released from prison, court officials said Saturday.

In January 2022, Cho was arrested for stealing precious items worth 27.5 million won (US$21,020) from a luxury country home in Yongin, 40 kilometers south of Seoul.

He was initially sentenced to two years in prison by a lower court. An appellate court later reduced the sentence to 1 1/2 years considering his age, health and circumstances.

Cho appealed the ruling, but the Supreme Court dismissed it and finalized the sentence.

Cho gained notoriety in the 1970s and 80s as the "Great Thief" for his tendency to rob only wealthy and powerful individuals, and use some of the stolen money for charitable purposes.

The burglar was imprisoned multiple times in the 1970s, and in 1982, he received a 15-year prison sentence for stealing from the homes of wealthy people and high-ranking officials.

After his release, Cho claimed to have turned his life around and was involved in missionary work and served as an adviser to a security company.

However, he was caught burglarizing an empty house in Tokyo in 2001 and imprisoned five more times later in and near Seoul -- for theft in 2005, 2013, 2015 and 2019, and for arranging the dealings of stolen goods in 2010. (Yonhap)