Prosecutors said the high-school dropout and part-time worker, identified as Kim, 28, met a woman named as Lee, 27, in an online chat room. Kim told Lee he was a graduate of a prestigious university and worked for a broadcast company. They had sex and agreed to get married.

However, soon after Kim met another women, identified as Baek, 25, and started two-timing Lee with her. He would meet Lee at weekends and Baek during the week. Prosecutors said Kim bought Baek presents with Lee’s credit card and vice versa. To back up his disguise, he would have both women drop him off at the broadcast company where he said he worked and frequently played sports on the campus of the top university.

In September 2002 Kim’s double life came out, but he turned the situation to his advantage by telling both women he would split up with the other - but not before he had paid her back her money. Lee gave Kim W60 million(US$58,600) and Baek W12.9 million to allow him to pay back their rival.

The game was finally up when Kim suffered a stroke. Kim’s brother, who thought Kim was going to die, called all the names in Kim's phone book telling them he was in hospital. Three other women besides Lee and Baek turned up at his bedside.

On Friday, Lee and Baek filed fraud charges against Kim, who suffers partial paralysis as a result of the stroke.

(Kim Bong-ki, knight@chosun.com )