SEOUL, Feb 14, 2024 (AFP) – The former fiance of South Korean Olympic fencing medallist Nam Hyun-hee was sentenced to 12 years in prison for fraud Wednesday over a scandal that reverberated across the country last year.
The former fiance, Jeon Cheong-jo, was arrested last year on charges of stealing over 3 billion won ($2.2 million) from 27 people between April 2022 and last October, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
Jeon on Wednesday was sentenced to 12 years in prison, a spokesperson for the Seoul Eastern District Court told AFP, without elaborating.
Jeon “ruined the lives of countless people by committing fraud against everyone around” them, judge Kim Byeong-cheol said while giving out the ruling, according to Yonhap.
“The damage has reached 3 billion won, and most of the damage has not been reimbursed,” he added.
The 27-year-old illicitly obtained the funds by masquerading as the purported heir of a chaebol, or family-run conglomerate, luring victims with what they falsely presented as exclusive investment opportunities accessible solely to the ultra-wealthy, according to Yonhap.
The scandal dominated headlines in South Korea for weeks last year because of its murky nature and revelations about Nam and Jeon’s relationship.
The case first came to public attention in October when Nam announced her engagement, giving a magazine interview with her fiance in which they said Jeon was the son of a wealthy family in the casino industry.
However, local media quickly revealed — citing court documents — that Jeon was legally a woman and had been convicted previously of fraud.
Underlining how the case captivated South Korea, mangled English and Korean phrases used in leaked text messages sent by Jeon to Nam became top-trending memes online at the time.
Former fencer Nam — who won silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — has since broken off the engagement, saying she was deceived and had been unaware of her ex-partner’s criminal past.
Nam, 42, has been under police investigation for suspected involvement in Jeon’s illicit activities since November.
The athlete — who also won bronze in London in 2012 and had operated a fencing club offering lessons in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district after her 2019 retirement — has been barred from leaving South Korea.
Jeon told local media last year that the majority of the money was spent on Nam, including buying her a new Bentley and repaying her loans.
The court on Wednesday issued an order for the confiscation of luxury bags, among other items, that were purchased by Jeon using illegal proceeds and subsequently gifted to Nam, Yonhap reported.