Nam Hyun-hee, a former national fencing team member, won entirely in a compensation lawsuit related to former partner Jeon Cheong-jo's fraud case. With this ruling, he was cleared of the unfair charge of being an "accomplice" and was officially recognized as another victim of Jeon Cheong-jo.
On the 12th, attorney Son Su-ho said on his personal social media, "In the 1.1 billion won compensation suit filed by a plaintiff who was defrauded of a large sum by Jeon Cheong-jo against Director Nam Hyun-hee, Director Nam won entirely," adding, "The court did not accept the claim that Director Nam was an accomplice and rather ruled that Director Nam was also a victim."
The actual judgment states, "Nam Hyun-hee, like the plaintiff, did not know the true nature of Jeon Cheong-jo" (page 9). The court emphasized that Nam Hyun-hee was not involved at all in Jeon Cheong-jo's investment solicitation activities and that he did not even know about those facts.
# nam hyun-hee and jeon cheong-jo's love story: what really happened?
The meeting of Nam Hyun-hee and Jeon Cheong-jo traces back to the summer of 2023. Nam Hyun-hee revealed his divorce from former national cyclist Gong Hyo-seok and said he would build a new life with his daughter. At the time he even disclosed plans for remarriage, saying, "Someone has come into my and my daughter's family to give us sincere love," and that person was Jeon Cheong-jo.
Jeon Cheong-jo introduced himself as an equestrian major, an arts and sports education and IT entrepreneur, and the third generation of a conglomerate, presenting a glamorous background. He said in media interviews that he met Nam Hyun-hee through fencing lessons and that their relationship developed from a teacher-student relationship into a romantic one. The two even shot affectionate couple photos, drawing attention as a "love found at a late age."
But soon suspicions about Jeon Cheong-jo's identity grew uncontrollably. Despite claims of being an extramarital child of a conglomerate, no record of him could be confirmed in the domestic business world, and the release of photos from his high school years sparked controversy over his gender. Eventually media reports revealed that "Jeon Cheong-jo is not a third-generation conglomerate heir or an equestrian athlete but a woman," and that about 300 million won was embezzled from seven victims.
Nam Hyun-hee quickly found himself in an awkward spot, even suspected of being a "fraud accomplice." But he consistently rebutted, saying, "I had no knowledge of Jeon Cheong-jo's actions, and I am also a deceived victim."
# court rules in favor of nam hyun-hee
This ruling is the court's official recognition of Nam Hyun-hee's claim. The judgment states, "Nam Hyun-hee was deceived by Jeon Cheong-jo's lies, believed that he was a third-generation conglomerate heir, and did not know about the investment," indicating there is no evidence that Nam Hyun-hee profited financially through Jeon Cheong-jo or assisted in soliciting investments.
Attorney Son Su-ho said, "After doing our best for 1 year and 10 months to prove the injustice, the truth has been revealed," and added, "Now that it is legally confirmed that Director Nam is another victim, I hope no more groundless speculation remains."
Earlier, Nam Hyun-hee also expressed his feelings, saying, "One year, apologize. The ultimate victor is the good person. Everything inevitably returns to the right path," and "I am wounded and holding on with all my strength. In the process I received the expected outcome several times. Now people seem to no longer need the truth. I just thank those who believed and stood by me during the hard times."
Meanwhile, Jeon Cheong-jo is believed to have embezzled about 3.5 billion won from at least some 30 people. Initially it involved 20 people and about 2.6 billion won, but as additional victims came forward the scale of the damage grew. Arrested on charges of fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, she was sentenced to a total of 16 years in the first trial, but the sentence was reduced by 3 years in the appeal. By not filing a final appeal, the 13-year sentence was finalized.
[Photo] OSEN DB, capture
[OSEN]