Ex-fiancé of Fencing medalist investigated for defrauding 1.9 billion won

A photo of Jeon Cheong-jo provided by Seoul's Gangseo District Council member Kim Min-seok [KIM MIN-SEOK]

The police have filed for an arrest warrant for 27-year-old Jeon Cheong-jo, the former fiancé of Olympian and medalist Nam Hyun-hee, on Thursday.

According to Songpa Police Precinct, Jeon is currently facing charges for collecting 1.9 billion won ($1.41 million) in criminal proceeds from 15 victims.

If proceeds from her fraudulent activities exceed 500 million won, Jeon could face a minimum of three years behind bars.

Jeon, charged with fraud and attempted fraud, was arrested at her relative's home in Gimpo, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday after a court issued a warrant.

The initial arrest warrant allowed the police to hold Jeon under custody for 48 hours.

The police are seeking to get an arrest warrant that would allow them to hold Jeon for up to 30 days.

If the prosecution decides to indict Jeon and the case goes to court, Jeon can be placed under arrest for up to six months.

Jeon is facing a series of fraud charges, including a scheme that targeted the parents and coaches associated with Nam's fencing academy.

Jeon reportedly established a paper company that purported to specialize in elite sports, such as fencing, ice hockey and horseback riding, guaranteeing admission to prestigious U.S. Ivy League schools.

She requested the victims pay 300 million won per person for her non-existent exclusive program.

Jeon allegedly claimed to have graduated from college at the age of 16 and obtained a psychiatry degree by the age of 19.

Furthermore, she went on to say that she had a close relationship with well-known figures like celebrity psychiatrist Oh Eun-young and Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin.

When pressed by parents for evidence of her credentials, she reportedly responded with a dismissive statement, saying, "You are not choosing me. I am choosing you."

Jeon has also been reported to the police on a romance scam where she posed as a woman and approached a victim in his 30s through a dating app.

The victim alleges that Jeon defrauded him by pretending to be interested in marriage while Jeon was still in a relationship with Olympian fencer Nam.

Jeon was recently introduced in an article as an illegitimate heir of the hotel and casino conglomerate Paradise Group.

She claimed to have a professional background in horseback riding but had to move to New York to attend NYU and pursue a major in horse riding due to an injury.

However, it has since been disclosed that she had no actual ties to the family that owns the hotel and casino group.

Jeon grew up in Ganghwa County, Incheon, and attended Korea Horse Racing and Livestock High School in Namwon, South Jeolla, but she left the school after her first year.

Jeon has been convicted several times for fraud-related charges and has served more than two years in prison.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]