Law Cancels 175 Million KRW of Gift Tax Out of 500 Million KRW Imposed on Choi Soon-sil's Daughter Jeong Yura

▲Jeong Yu-ra

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A court ruling has emerged stating that part of the gift tax imposed by tax authorities on Jung Yura (24), daughter of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), the 'shadow power' during the Park Geun-hye administration, should be canceled.

The Administrative Court of Seoul, Administrative Division 5 (Presiding Judge Park Yang-jun), on the 2nd, ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff in the lawsuit filed by Jung against the Gangnam Tax Office chief.

The court stated, "The disposition imposing gift tax including additional tax amounting to about 175 million KRW is canceled," and "the remaining claims are dismissed."

Previously, tax authorities imposed approximately 500 million KRW in gift tax, considering that Jung had received assets owned by Choi.

The gift tax was imposed on four horses used by Jung for horseback riding practice in Korea, land in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, apartment deposits, and insurance policies.

Jung filed a tax appeal with the Tax Tribunal, disputing the disposition on grounds such as not having received ownership of the horses themselves, but when it was rejected, she filed a lawsuit.

In the main trial of the state manipulation case, Choi also claimed that the four horses mentioned as bribes were only temporarily borrowed by Jung and were never owned by her.