Unbelievable... Lotto 1st Prize Winner of 6.1 Billion Won Has Not Appeared

Unclaimed Lotto Prizes Forfeited to National Treasury After One-Year Deadline
Forfeited Lottery Fund Allocated to Public Interest Projects

Four first-place winners of the Lotto lottery did not claim their winnings by the payment deadline, resulting in a total of 6,176,450,000 KRW being forfeited to the Lottery Fund (national treasury).

On the 8th, the lottery operator Donghaeng Lottery announced that a total of four first-place winners?two from Lotto draw 1102, one from draw 1103, and one from draw 1105?did not claim their winnings within the one-year deadline. A common factor among these winners was that their Lotto numbers were selected automatically.

The two unclaimed winnings from draw 1102 were from the draw held on January 13 last year, with each prize amounting to 1,383,590,000 KRW. The unclaimed tickets were sold in Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province, and Naju-si, Jeollanam-do.

Draw 1103 was held on January 20 last year. The unclaimed ticket was sold in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, with a prize of 1,574,410,000 KRW. Draw 1105’s unclaimed Lotto ticket was sold in Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do. The draw took place on February 3 last year, and the prize was 1,834,850,000 KRW.

Winnings that pass the payment deadline are fully forfeited to the Lottery Fund according to the Lottery and Lottery Fund Act. These forfeited unclaimed winnings are used for various public interest projects such as housing stability support for low-income groups, scholarship programs, and cultural heritage protection projects.

Meanwhile, Lotto first-place winnings must be claimed within one year from the start date of payment and can only be collected at the NongHyup Bank headquarters. Donghaeng Lottery posts the status of high-value (1st and 2nd place) unclaimed winnings approaching expiration within two months on its website. Previously, unclaimed winnings from draws 1085, 1054, 1024, 1016, 1012, 929, 919, and 892 were claimed just before the payment deadline.