"Go Claim the 2 Billion and 1.3 Billion Won Prizes": Lotto First-Prize Winnings Still Unclaimed

[Financial News] Some Lotto first-prize winners have yet to claim their winnings.
According to details of unclaimed prizes released on the 28th by lottery operator Donghaeng Lottery, there are currently two unclaimed first-prize winnings. Unclaimed prizes whose claim deadlines expire by the end of this year total 3.3 billion won.
The unclaimed first-prize winnings from Lotto draw No. 1196, held on November 1 last year, amount to 2,001,627,550 won. The unclaimed first-prize winnings from draw No. 1203, held on December 20 last year, amount to 1,368,060,733 won. One winner from each draw has yet to claim the prize.
The winning numbers for Lotto draw No. 1196 were '8, 12, 15, 29, 40, 45.' One of the 15 winners has yet to claim the prize. The ticket was sold at a lottery retailer in Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, and the claim deadline is November 2.
The winning numbers for Lotto draw No. 1203 were '3, 6, 18, 29, 35, 39.' One of the 21 winners, who purchased the ticket in Gyeonggi Province, has yet to claim the prize. The claim deadline for this draw is December 21.
Lotto winnings must be claimed within one year of the payout start date. Once the deadline passes, the winnings automatically expire and are transferred to the Lottery Fund. The transferred winnings are used for various public-interest programs, including housing stability for low-income households, scholarship programs, and cultural heritage protection.
Common reasons for unclaimed prizes are simple mistakes, such as buying a ticket without checking the numbers or losing the ticket. Expired winnings totaled 228.3 billion won over the past five years, from 2020 to 2024. By number of cases, the total reached 30.76 million. Fifth-prize winnings, worth 5,000 won each, accounted for the largest share, representing 66% of the total unclaimed amount, or approximately 150.7 billion won.
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter