Choi Seo-won appeals for help, says seized prison account left her unable to afford surgery

Choi Seo-won, released from prison on a suspended sentence to receive medical treatment, has been unable to undergo surgery due to lack of funds, her family said.

On Monday, a handwritten letter from Choi and a bank account number in her grandson's name were posted to the Facebook page of her daughter, Chung Yoo-ra.

In the letter, Choi said that as soon as she was released, the government filed a reimbursement claim for more than tens of millions of won in medical expenses accumulated over 10 years and seized her prison savings account, leaving her without the money needed for surgery.

She also complained that Ahn Min-seok had not responded to her or paid the damages despite a court ruling ordering him to do so. "The one who lied is thriving as the Gyeonggi Province education superintendent, while the victim cannot even have surgery — that is the reality," she said.

"It pains me to feel like I am only a burden to my daughter and grandson," she added. "But I have already served 10 years in prison and am now an elderly woman past 70, and the days when I can clear my name are running out." She appealed for help "so that I may live to set the record straight on the state affairs manipulation scandal."

Choi was indicted on charges including abuse of authority and bribery, and in June 2020 received a final sentence of 18 years in prison, a fine of 20 billion won ($13 million) and a surcharge of 6.3 billion won. She subsequently served her sentence at Cheongju Women's Prison. In December 2022, she was released for 130 days after her need for spinal surgery was recognized. She was also released for about a month in March 2025 for a herniated disc operation.