SEOUL, Prosecutors on Wednesday sought a 15-year prison sentence for a former fiance of Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee on fraud and forgery charges.

The 28-year-old former fiance, Jeon Cheong-jo, was charged with swindling a total of about 3 billion won (US$2.25 million) from 27 people under the pretext of investment between 2022 and 2023.

Jeon presented herself to the victims as a secret heir to the high-end Paradise Hotel chain, enticing them with false investment opportunities that she portrayed as exclusively reserved for rich conglomerate families, according to investigations.

Jeon gained notoriety after breaking up with Nam, the silver medalist in women’s foil at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, following revelations that Jeon was legally a woman, not an heir to the Paradise Hotel chain and had multiple records of fraud.

“Given Jeon’s actual credentials, the possibility of damage recovery by her is very unlikely, and it’s apparent that the economic and mental damage on the victims are likely to pe
rsist,” the prosecution said during a court hearing.

The prosecution concluded that Jeon’s motive was to finance a luxury lifestyle with ill-gotten money.

“I promise that I will recover the damage done, albeit taking long, and prove my pledge with actions. I repent again and again,” Jeon said during the hearing.

Nam was also under police investigation after investment fraud victims filed a complaint against her for alleged collusion with Jeon, but the fencer denied the suspicions.

A Seoul Court is expected to deliver a ruling on Jeon on Feb. 8.

Source: Yonhap News Agency