A Seoul court sentenced the scandal-ridden former fiance of Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee to 12 years in prison on Wednesday on fraud and forgery charges.

The 28-year-old former fiance, Jeon Cheong-jo, was charged with swindling a total of about 3 billion won ($2.25 million) from 27 people under the pretext of investment between 2022 and 2023.

Jeon presented herself to the victims as a secret heir to the high-end Paradise Hotel chain, enticing them with false investment opportunities that she portrayed as exclusively reserved for rich conglomerate families, according to investigations.

Jeon gained notoriety after breaking up with Nam, the silver medalist in women's foil at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, following revelations that Jeon was legally a woman, not an heir to the Paradise Hotel chain and had multiple records of fraud.

The prosecution had concluded that Jeon's motive was to finance a luxury lifestyle with ill-gotten money, and demanded a 15-year prison term for her.

The Seoul Eastern District Court on Wednesday sentenced Jeon to 12 years behind bars, saying her fraud schemes ruined the lives of victims.

"The damage amounts to 3 billion won and most of them remain unrepaid while Jeon has not been forgiven by the victims," the court said.

In the final pre-sentence court hearing last month, Jeon said "I promise that I will recover the damage done, albeit taking long, and prove my pledge with actions. I repent again and again."

Nam is also currently under police investigation after investment fraud victims filed a complaint against her for alleged collusion with Jeon, but the fencer denied the suspicions. (Yonhap)