A South Korean court has sentenced a man to eight months in prison for fraud after he promised to bring a North Korean family to the South for thousands of dollars, despite lacking the ability to do so.

The unnamed defendant admitted during his trial that he did not have the means to safely relocate the family of the victim living in the ROK, a spokesperson for the Incheon District Court told NK News on Thursday.

The defendant told the victim that a North Korean broker needed 5 million won ($3,396) to contact the victim’s sister on Dec. 26, 2023,