Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji draws winning lottery numbers

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Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji draws winning lottery numbers

Published: 25 Nov. 2024, 19:07 Updated: 26 Nov. 2024, 18:15

Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji poses during a live broadcast lotto draw event, dubbed the “2024 Lottery Day.″ [MBC]

Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji was chosen to draw the latest winning lottery numbers on Saturday amid ongoing suspicions regarding the fairness of Korea’s national lottery.

DongHang Lottery hosted a live broadcast of the Lotto 6/45 draw event, dubbed the “2024 Lottery Day,” at the MBC headquarters in Seoul’s Mapo District on Saturday. Kim appeared on the broadcast to draw six winning numbers.

The live broadcast featured 100 audience members — five times more than usual amount — who were all 19 years old or older and have no history of attending lottery-related broadcasts in the past six months.

“I hope the luck goes to those who help others in need,” Kim said before activating the lottery machine. With her draw, a total of eight people became winners for the 1147th lottery, with each set to take home 3.32 billion won ($2.37 million).

The Olympian shooting star’s appearance comes amid heightened public skepticism over lottery manipulation following the unprecedented case of 63 first-place winners in July’s draw. To emphasize the draw’s fairness and transparency, Donghang Lottery highlighted the technical safeguards in place to ensure fairness.

The host explained that the lottery machine is stored in a separate secured location within the studio under 24-hour surveillance.

Its depository has a dual-locking system of a physical lock and card authentication with only preregistered officials having access to it. The depository also features systems to maintain optimal temperature and humidity, minimizing external influences.

During the event, DongHang Lottery also outlined the processes involved in ball selection and machine testing, emphasizing its commitment to transparency. The balls used in the drawing must undergo examinations in the presence of police before they can be approved for use.

"The lottery machine is designed to ensure 100 percent randomness, making tampering impossible," said a Donghae Lottery spokesperson.

A science-themed talk show titled “The Science Behind Lottery Wins,” featuring science communicator Gwe Do and neuroscientist Professor Jang Dong-seon, also took place to restore the public’s trust.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]