Detained Jung Yura Appeals from Prison: "My Children Will Be Sent to an Orphanage... Please Help"

Jung Yooyeon (formerly Jung Yura), daughter of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), who was indicted without detention on fraud charges but was later arrested and detained for failing to appear in court, has appealed for public support, citing her children’s risk of being sent to an orphanage and their dire financial situation.

Jung Yooyeon (formerly Jung Yura), daughter of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil). Screenshot from the Gaseyeon YouTube channel

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On April 21, Jung posted a handwritten letter via an acquaintance on her Facebook page, stating, "Please help us just once so that my children do not have to go to an orphanage," and disclosed her daughter’s bank account number.

Jung pleaded, "I have already been incarcerated at Uijeongbu Detention Center for nine weeks," and added, "During these nine weeks, I have neither seen nor heard the voices of my three sons." She continued, "I truly hate how I am gradually adapting to this place day by day," and lamented, "My child has been struggling to adapt to life in Korea without their mother, spending the past two months in tears, and it breaks my heart to wonder what I am even doing here."

She further stated, "Although I am a person with many faults, these children are innocent," and earnestly pleaded, "Please, I sincerely beg you to show mercy so that these children, who have lived with nothing but pain and will continue to face a difficult life simply because they are my children, do not have to tremble in fear among strangers and in unfamiliar environments at an orphanage."

A handwritten letter revealed by Mr. Jeong. Facebook capture

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On this day, along with Jung’s letter, a handwritten appeal by her mother, Choi, was also released. Choi wrote, "On the day before the Lunar New Year holiday, my daughter was urgently arrested, resulting in my three young grandchildren being evicted from their home after it was seized, leaving them out on the street." She continued, "All these events caused by my mistakes have become punishments for my innocent grandchildren and my daughter, who was already struggling with economic hardship. It makes me feel like dying."

She went on to plead, "I am doing everything I can to repay my daughter’s debts, and I am doing everything within my power." She added, "This situation arose among acquaintances of the creditors, and my daughter is currently trying to repay the debts, but if her detention continues, how can she pay them back?"

Requesting Jung’s release, Choi said, "There is no one outside who can earn money for the family," and asked, "Do you want the children to be separated from their home and siblings and sent to different institutions just because of money?" She explained that Jung’s children have been ordered by the court to vacate their residence due to unpaid rent.

She added, "We need to pay the rent immediately so that my daughter and her children can hold on during her detention," and emphasized, "(Jung) is the only guardian for me and my grandchildren. I sincerely hope that your warm-hearted compassion can give hope to my daughter and grandchildren as they endure suffering, and I would like to request your help."

Jung has been brought to trial for allegedly borrowing a large sum of money from an acquaintance and failing to repay it. It has been determined that she borrowed approximately 698 million won on several occasions from November 2022 to September 2023. During this period, she is reported to have cited reasons such as needing lobbying funds for her mother Choi’s pardon or claiming that money laundering was blocked.

Jung failed to appear at several court hearings and was subsequently arrested and detained at Uijeongbu Detention Center. At her first trial, she explained that she was unaware of the scheduled hearing due to a misdelivered summons and appealed for consideration, citing that she is raising three children alone, and requested to be tried without detention. The sentencing for Jung is scheduled for May 7.

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