TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese businessman found guilty of breaking sanctions against North Korea by supplying oil products at sea saw his prison sentence reduced to one year from 14 months Thursday (Oct. 27).

Appeals are still possible against the verdict by the Kaohsiung branch of the Taiwan High Court, including a four-month prison term for forgery, which could be converted to a fine, CNA reported.

In May 2018, Huang Wang-ken (黃旺根) sent a tanker carrying 1,350 metric tons of oil from Taichung with its official destination listed as Hong Kong. However, the ship moved its cargo to a Malaysian-registered tanker, the Shang Yuan Bao, which transshipped the oil to a North Korean ship, violating international sanctions imposed on the communist country following its missile tests.

Huang and the owner of the tanker, a man named Wen (溫), undertook a second trip to deliver 1,479 tons of oil to the North Koreans, but because their ship was being tracked by a U.S. satellite, the whole process was recorded.

Huang claimed he had merely leased his ship out to Wen, and was unaware of the latter’s actions. However, Wen said it was Huang who had informed him there was business to be done with North Korea.

The Kaohsiung District Court sentenced Huang to 14 months in prison, while Wen and a representative, Wu (吳), received jail terms of 10 months and six months, respectively, which could be replaced by fines.

The High Court on Thursday shortened Huang’s prison term to one year, noting he had only admitted to breaking sanctions after the lower court verdict, thus not being worthy of receiving a more generous reduction of his sentence.