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Former national fencer Nam Hyun-hee hits back at 'malicious' online comments

Published: 14 Dec. 2025, 15:57

Fraudster Jeon Cheong-jo, left, and former Olympian fencer Nam Hyun-hee [YONHAP]

Former national fencer Nam Hyun-hee, who was suspected and cleared of aiding Jeon Cheong-jo to fraudulently solicit investment funds, appealed for an end to what she described as “malicious comments.”

In a post on her Instagram account Sunday, Nam said that “mocking and blaming victims is not merely an ‘opinion,’ but another form of harm.”

She added that “speculation far removed from the facts and gossip-driven reporting are being repeated, and on top of that, malicious comments keep pouring in,” saying that “this causes deep wounds not only to the person involved but also to those who are watching.”

Jeon gained notoriety following revelations last year that she had been engaged to Nam, the silver medalist in women's foil at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, under the guise of a man claiming to be an heir to the Paradise Hotel chain. The couple later broke up.

Nam had faced allegations that she assisted Jeon while Jeon posed as an extramarital child of a third-generation conglomerate family member and solicited investment funds. There were also suspicions that part of the criminal proceeds were transferred to accounts linked to Nam or used to lease luxury housing and vehicles under her name.

“The anger and sadness I feel are entirely justified,” said Nam. “This is extremely difficult for me. Just because someone is hiding behind a keyboard does not mean responsibility disappears. People need to recognize that each and every word they type can inflict deep harm on a real person.”

Jeon Cheong-jo, ex-fiance of Olympian fencer, Nam Hyun-hee [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Nam also shared a non-indictment decision she received Saturday from the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office.

According to the document, prosecutors concluded there was insufficient evidence to indict Nam on charges of aiding fraud in violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and violating the Act on the Regulation and Punishment of Criminal Proceeds Concealment, ruling there were no charges to pursue.

Prosecutors said they believed it was “more reasonable to conclude that the suspect was used by Jeon, rather than that she was aware of Jeon’s fraudulent scheme or other criminal activities.”

Jeon was sentenced to 13 years in prison in November 2024 after being convicted of fraud totaling about 3 billion won ($2.03 million) and assaulting Nam’s nephew.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]