Posted on: October 30, 2023, 07:22h.
Last updated on: October 30, 2023, 07:22h.
South Korea has become captivated by the story of a female-born alleged scammer who briefly engaged with one of the nation’s most adored athletes while identifying as a man.
Jeon Cheong-jo claimed to be a member of the Paradise Group, a major player in South Korea’s hotel, casino, and leisure industries.
She pursued a relationship with two-time Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee, while presenting herself as exceptionally wealthy. Additionally, she allegedly sought money from Nam’s acquaintances for fake investment opportunities.
Nam and Jeon announced their engagement to the media through an interview and photoshoot featured in Woman Chosun, a popular celebrity magazine, on October 23.
During the interview, Nam expressed her happiness in finding love once more after recently divorcing her competitive cyclist husband.
Interestingly, Nam also claimed to be pregnant with Jeon’s child.
An Engagement Unraveled
However, the couple’s relationship quickly fell apart when individuals who recognized Jeon came forward, stating that she was biologically female and had a history of fraudulence.
A police investigation confirmed these claims. Jeon did not undergo the necessary legal process to change her gender in South Korea, meaning she is legally considered a woman.
She has a track record of deceiving romantic partners, assuming both male and female identities, and appears to have transitioned between genders seamlessly.
In 2020, while presenting as a woman, she allegedly extorted money from her then-boyfriend. However, a year prior, authorities claim she scammed a female love interest on Jeju Island out of $2,200, posing as a man.
On Thursday, Jeon was arrested by the police at Nam’s mother’s residence in Seongnam, located south of Seoul, on charges of stalking. Authorities were contacted when Jeon showed up at the door and began forcefully knocking after Nam ended the relationship.
A Miraculous Pregnancy
On Friday, Nam informed Korean media that the relationship was over. Regarding the supposed pregnancy, she revealed that Jeon had presented her with fake pregnancy tests.
She believed that her future spouse was a transgender man who had undergone gender reassignment surgery, although it is unclear why she thought they could have conceived a child together.
Same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognized under South Korean law, and homosexuality remains taboo in Korean society.
Jeon convinced her victims that she was an illegitimate child of Philip Jeon, who, along with his wife Choi Yoon-jung, owns the Paradise Group. The company’s flagship, Paradise Casino, is the second-largest casino resort in the country.
“Baseless claims about the [Paradise] company have been circulating online regarding Jeon Cheong-jo, greatly damaging our reputation and image,” stated the company in an official statement on Thursday.
“We are deeply concerned by the false claim that Jeon is an illegitimate child of the (chief of the) Paradise Group, and we stress once again that this is not true.”