Grifter ex-fiancé of Olympic fencing medalist given four more years for assaulting child, fraud

The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced Jeon Cheong-jo, the ex-fiancé of Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee and a convicted financial fraudster, to four years in prison on Wednesday for assaulting Nam's nephew and defrauding four people.

Jeon Cheong-jo heads to the prosecutors from Songpa Police Station in southern Seoul on Nov. 10, 2023. [YONHAP]

The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced Jeon Cheong-jo, the ex-fiancé of Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee and a convicted financial fraudster, to four years in prison on Wednesday for assaulting Nam's nephew and defrauding four people.

Jeon, 27, was also ordered to attend 40 hours of child abuse prevention education. The prosecutors sought a five-year prison sentence against Jeon.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Jeon in May on charges of physical violence, coercion, illegal trespassing and child abuse.

Jeon struck Nam’s middle schooler nephew on the buttocks more than 10 times with the grip end of a meter-long (3.3-feet-long) children’s golf club in August last year.

Additionally, Jeon sent threatening messages to the nephew, who had asked her for an allowance. The messages, sent in April last year, read , “I will make you lose all your friends” and “I will send my bodyguards to your school [to ruin your school life]."

The trespassing charge stemmed from her attempt to enter Nam’s mother’s house by repeatedly ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door in October last year after the fencer informed Jeon she was ending their relationship.

The prosecutors’ office additionally indicted Jeon on July 3 on charges of fraud and defamation. She deceived four men she met through a dating app by pretending to be a female equestrian athlete and making them believe she would marry them while asking for money to cover competition fees, swindling approximately 233 million won ($173,600).

The court dismissed the application for a compensation order filed by the victims.

Jeon now faces 16 years of prison in total, having been sentenced to 12 years for charges of defrauding 3 billion won from 27 victims in February. The fraudster previously claimed to be the third-generation scion of a Korean casino owner and a transgender male to marry Nam.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]