The public's rights of way take precedence over personal property rights, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The highest court finalized a lower courts' verdict, which found a 59-year-old, identified by his family name, Won, guilty of blocking a road by setting up a fence on his property and confirmed a fine of 700,000 won.

According to records filed with the court, Won set up an iron fence 3.7 meters wide and 1.6 meters high on his property in Gongju last December because heavy traffic, largely made up of trucks, bothered him.

Won was charged with violating a law regarding interference of general traffic of vehicles and slapped with a light fine. The pertinent regulation stipulates that violators may face a jail term of up to 10 years or a maximum fine of 15 million won.

Won claimed that the fence was set up on his property and cited private property rights.

The lower courts, however, said that the public's rights outweighed those of individuals in this case.