Seoul Court Issues Detention Warrant for Former Fiance of Olympic Fencing Medalist on Fraud Charges

SEOUL/SEONGNAM — A court in Seoul issued a detention warrant on Tuesday for the former fiance of Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee. The warrant was granted for investigation into allegations of fraud and attempted fraud.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Nam Hyun-hee, who won a silver medal in women’s foil at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, recently ended her engagement with Jeon Cheong-jo. The break-up came days after revelations that Jeon was actually a woman with a prior history of fraud convictions. Claims by Jeon of being a third-generation heir to a conglomerate family were also found to be false.

The Seoul Eastern District Court approved the detention warrant the police had requested against Jeon. The court also issued a warrant to examine Jeon’s phone communication records, citing concerns that she might not comply with summonses. Under the detention warrant, Jeon can be held in custody for 48 hours, after which a formal arrest warrant would be required to extend the detention.

Since last week, Jeon has faced both a fraud complaint and a lawsuit, accusing her of swindling approximately 130 million won (US$96,474) from victims under the guise of investment opportunities. Jeon was also briefly detained last week after Nam filed a stalking complaint. Nam alleged that Jeon repeatedly pounded on the door and rang the doorbell of a home where she was staying.

In another development, the police have initiated an investigation into a second stalking complaint filed by Nam against Jeon’s mother. Nam claimed that Jeon’s mother made multiple phone calls and sent text messages asking for “conversations.” Police confirmed that around 20 calls and messages were sent to Nam by Jeon’s mother on Monday. Officials say they will consider filing criminal charges against Jeon’s mother for stalking after questioning her.

Police were also dispatched to a domestic dispute involving Nam and one of her cousins early Tuesday morning in Seongnam, just south of Seoul. Authorities left the scene after confirming that the altercation was a family disagreement over financial matters and no injuries were sustained.