On August 23, Se-Cheol Cheon (72), head of Ruby Jewelry (RBJ), fatally shot his wife and younger daughter at 18 Crest Road East in Rolling Hills before taking his own life, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The incident is being investigated as a Korean American jewelry mogul murder-suicide.
Deputies were dispatched after receiving a call around 10:20 a.m. reporting, “My younger sister and father are dead.” The caller was identified as Karen Cheon, the elder daughter of Se-Cheol Cheon. Inside the home, investigators discovered Christine Cheon (40), the younger daughter, and Myung-Sook Cheon (69), his wife, both dead from gunshot wounds. Investigator Michael Modica confirmed on August 25 that Se-Cheol Cheon had first attempted to hang himself and, when death was not immediate, fatally shot himself. A handgun was recovered near his body.
Authorities said the couple had been locked in a contentious divorce for nearly two years. Records show they filed for divorce in August 2023 at the LA County Superior Court, and in September 2024, Myung-Sook Cheon filed an assault complaint that led to a restraining order. At the time of the killings, Se-Cheol Cheon was living in a Koreatown apartment, while his wife and daughters resided in the Rolling Hills home where the shootings took place.
Known as a self-made mogul, Se-Cheol Cheon entered the jewelry business in 1984 with a small showcase in downtown Los Angeles before expanding into wholesale distribution that supplied more than 3,000 retailers. He later moved into real estate, with associates estimating his assets at around $200 million. He also operated family-run investment firms including 1801 Wilshire Corporation, Cnk Investment, Kmpc Investment, and Xemit, registered at his downtown office or Rolling Hills address.
Cathy Koo, head of Christian Jewelry, who had known him for four decades, recalled: “In the 1980s, when the jewelry market was dominated by Jewish traders, he broke through as a Korean American. He made big money selling gold at swap meets in predominantly Black neighborhoods like Compton.”
When reporters visited the Vincent Jewelry Center, where Ruby Jewelry was based, the office was locked and empty. A fellow Korean American jeweler said Se-Cheol Cheon had rarely appeared in recent months, with his wife and daughter often handling operations. “I saw them once in the elevator. They stood apart, and they didn’t seem close,” he said. Despite family troubles, others in the district remembered him as a central figure. “Ruby Jewelry is one of the three biggest wholesalers here. He also helped many Korean Americans from out of state start in the jewelry trade. He was a generous man.”
Officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the investigation is nearly complete and will be closed based on the evidence collected.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
