Prosecution seeks 20 years in prison for grifter ex-fiancé of fencing medalist

The prosecution has asked for a 20-year prison sentence for Jeon Cheong-jo, the ex-fiancé of Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee, for defrauding 27 people of 3 billion won.

Jeon Cheong-jo walks out from the Seoul Songpa Police Station and heads to The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul in November. [YONHAP]

The prosecutors’ office requested a 20-year prison sentence for Jeon Cheong-jo, the ex-fiancé of Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee, on Thursday for defrauding 3 billion won ($2.17 million) from 27 people.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office requested the sentence in an appellate trial held at the Seoul High Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul. Jeon was sentenced to 12 years on the same charges during the first trial in February.

Jeon is accused of defrauding 27 individuals met through lectures and other events between April 2022 and October 2023. Investigations revealed that Jeon primarily committed the offenses by persuading the victims to invest in unlisted overseas companies or domestic app development companies.

“I deeply feel that anyone who commits a crime will inevitably face punishment and pay the price one day,” said Jeon in a final statement. “I am sincerely sorry to the victims. I will continue to bow my head and seek forgiveness from everyone until I am fully forgiven.”

“When I see news reports about those who say they were harmed by me, I feel terrified, fearful and unbearably ashamed, to the point where I wish I were dead,” the defendant added. “As someone who has committed a crime, I believe I must reflect on my actions and make every effort to restore what I have taken from the victims.”

The court’s ruling in the appellate trial will be announced on Nov. 21.

The fraudster previously claimed to be the third-generation scion of a Korean casino owner and a transgender male in a relationship with Nam.

The prosecutors’ office also 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.

The prosecutors’ office additionally indicted Jeon on July 3 on charges of fraud and defamation for deceiving four men met through a dating app by pretending to be a female equestrian athlete and making them believe marriage was on the table while asking for money to cover competition fees, swindling approximately 233 million won.

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