The globally renowned film director Zhang Yimou has paid off a heavy fine of 7.48 million yuan ($1.24 million), based on his violation of the family-planning policy, a local authority said a statement issued Friday.

China's most eminent filmmaker found himself in a deep well of condemnation after he acknowledged that he and his current wife had three children (two sons and a daughter) before their marriage and without official permission for the births.

The family planning bureau of Binhu district of Wuxi city, Jiangsu province, which decided to fine to Zhang in January, issued such a statement on its Twitter-like Sina Weibo account.

Zhang initially denied the violation after it was first reported by some media.

Related:

When the crowd bays for blood	Zhang Yimou fined 7.48m	Zhang apologizes for violating policy