[Sportschosun Reporter Lee Ji-hyun] The name of broadcaster Noh Hong-chul, who broke up with singer Jang Yoon-jung after a public relationship 16 years ago, has been mentioned in a fraud case involving Jang's mother, drawing attention.
JTBC's "Incident Chief," which aired on the 30th of last month, focused on fraud allegations surrounding Jang Yoon-jung's mother, Ms. Yook. Based on testimony from an informant claiming to be a victim, the program reported that Yook delayed repayment by mentioning the names of several well-known celebrities while being asked to return investment money.
In a reenactment shown on air, subtitles quoted Yook as telling the victim, "Jang's company is also having trouble because of Park Na-rae's issue, so it looks like things will be delayed a bit," and "I asked Noh Hong-chul for a favor." The victim said he believed Yook and waited, but ultimately never got his money back.
A phone screen shown later also included messages reportedly sent by Yook to the victim. The messages said, "Mr. Noh Hong-chul, I hope you are doing well. I thought you were someone who could help through a long-standing connection," "I hope you will definitely honor my request," "There should be no issue other than a slight delay because of Jang's company problems and my business," and "You must send me your account number." The informant claimed Yook tried to reassure the victim by making it seem as if she had directly contacted Noh Hong-chul or asked him for help.
Noh Hong-chul drew even more attention because he once dated Jang Yoon-jung publicly. The two confirmed their relationship in 2009 and became a major topic of conversation, but they broke up about a year later in 2010. Since then, no notable contact or interaction between them has been reported for 16 years, which has also raised interest in why Noh's name was brought up in this case.
Earlier, victim A claimed that Yook persuaded him by saying, "If you invest in TV Chosun's 'Miss Trot,' which Jang Yoon-jung appeared on, you can make a big profit," and received tens of millions of won in investment money. He also said she gained his trust by showing him a screen that made it appear as if she was exchanging real KakaoTalk messages with Jang using two mobile phones.
However, he said the promised investment money was never returned and that he reported the case to police after his family urged him to do so. "Incident Chief" also reported that there was another victim who said they were harmed by the same method and had already filed a complaint.
As the controversy grew, Jang Yoon-jung's side issued an unusual official statement and distanced itself from the case. Her side stressed, "For decades, there has never been any direct contact with my mother," adding that the matter has nothing to do with her.
Jang Yoon-jung previously revealed on a broadcast that she had faced property disputes during her parents' divorce and eventually cut ties with her mother after years of conflict. The dispute later escalated into legal battles, and she is still believed to have no contact with her mother.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
