Olympian's ex-fiancé handed over to prosecution on $2.1M fraud charges

Jeon Cheong-jo speaks to reporters in front of Songpa Police Station in eastern Seoul before she is transferred to the prosecution on Friday. [NEWS1]

Police handed over the fraud case surrounding Jeon Cheong-jo, who was previously engaged to Olympian Nam Hyun-hee, to the prosecution on Friday.

The Songpa Police Precinct in eastern Seoul transferred the 27-year-old Jeon, detained for fraud charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office.

Jeon was flooded with questions from reporters, including if she had colluded with 42-year-old Nam, a fencing medalist, as she came out of the Songpa police station.

"I'm sorry to the victims," Jeon replied before getting into the police vehicle.

Jeon is accused of swindling around 2.8 billion won ($2.1 million) in the guise of collecting investment funds from 23 people she met while giving lectures. Jeon is said to have recommended investments in unlisted overseas companies or domestic app development companies.

Jeon reportedly admitted to the fraud crimes during police investigation.

Victims include a parent of a student at Nam's fencing academy, who filed a complaint against Nam.

Nam, in a magazine interview last month, introduced Jeon as her fiancé and a third-generation scion of a family-owned conglomerate and a former equestrian who had retired due to an injury.

Immediately after the interview, reports raising suspicion over Jeon's gender and previous criminal records brought to light the fraud scandal.

Police arrested Jeon at a relative's house in Gimpo, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 31 and detained her on Nov. 3. Jeon has been banned from leaving the country.

Nam, a silver medalist in women's foil at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is accused of being an accomplice to Jeon in one of the several complaints filed against Jeon.

Nam has claimed to be a victim of Jeon's fraud and that she had not been aware of the swindling activities. Jeon has claimed that Nam knew and has colluded with her since last March.

Nam was summoned for police questioning on Wednesday. Nam denied the suspicions of being Jeon's accomplice in police questioning and through her social media.

Police are investigating a total of 12 related cases, which Songpa police have combined after different police precincts received a series of complaints and accusations regarding Jeon's fraud.

On Thursday, Gyeonggi Seongnam Jungwon Police Precinct handed to the prosecution additional cases on Jeon's stalking of Nam, as well as allegations of child abuse against Nam's middle school nephew by Jeon.

Jeon is accused of going to Nam's mother's house in Gyeonggi on Oct. 27, knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell multiple times.

Jeon is also accused of hitting Nam's nephew with a golf club last August.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]