Prosecution Initiates Seizure Procedure for Horse 'Rausing' Given to Jeong Yura by Samsung

The prosecution has initiated procedures to confiscate the horse that Jung Yura, daughter of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), received from Samsung during the state corruption scandal.

According to the legal community on the 9th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office recently began enforcement of confiscation on the dressage horse "Lausing," which Samsung had given to Jung and later taken back. This comes more than two years after the retrial court in January 2021 ruled that Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, had provided bribes to Choi's side and ordered the confiscation of the horse.

Jung Yu-ra. Photo by Asia Economy DB

"Lausing" is one of three horses (Salsido, Vitana V, and Lausing) that Chairman Lee purchased for Jung between 2015 and 2016. It is known to be worth approximately 700 million won. After retrieving "Lausing" from Jung, Samsung reportedly kept the horse even after the court ruling. The prosecution only recently became aware that Samsung was storing the horse and has now begun enforcement procedures.

The enforcement of the confiscation order must be carried out by the Central District Prosecutors' Office, not by the special prosecutor team led by Park Young-soo who investigated the case. However, it is reported that information related to the confiscation enforcement was not properly handed over during last year's personnel changes. The prosecution plans to proceed with the public auction of "Lausing" as soon as the budget for consignment and storage is allocated, and to remit the proceeds to the national treasury.