Korea's High-Profile Divorce Settlement
South Korean Court Orders SK Chairman Chey Tae-won to Pay $644 Million in Divorce Settlement
Anonymous
Key Points
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The Seoul High Court ruled that Roh is entitled to a cash payout equal to one-third of the couple's marital assets, signaling a cash-asset split alongside the valuation of Chey’s SK Inc holdings.
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Chey Tae-won publicly admitted in 2015 that he fathered a child with another woman, a detail that has shaped public perception of the case and Chey’s personal history.
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The divorce proceeding has already finalised the divorce itself and 2 billion won in damages, meaning only the asset-division portion remains unresolved.
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Analysts note that, given the size of the cash award, Chey may need to fund the settlement via borrowing, asset sales, or pledging SK Inc shares to raise liquidity.
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Roh Soh-yeong has three children with Chey and is described as running a digital art museum, adding a cultural dimension to the high-profile dispute.
A South Korean court has ordered SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his ex-wife 944 billion won — roughly $644 million — in what many are calling the "divorce of the century," according to WTOP. The Seoul High Court issued the ruling after a Supreme Court remand, cutting the original 1.38 trillion won award but still cementing one of the largest divorce settlements in South Korean history.
Roh So-yeong, a daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo, is entitled to one-third of the couple's marital assets, Winnipeg Free Press reported. The divorce itself and a separate 2 billion won damages award were already finalized. Only the asset-division piece remained — and it is now resolved, pending any further appeal.
Why the Payout Shrank from 1.38 Trillion to 944 Billion Won
Two key factors drove the reduction. First, the Supreme Court ruled that funds linked to Roh's father could not count as a protected contribution to the couple's shared assets. That knocked a significant chunk off the original figure, according to MarketScreener.
Second, the court fixed asset values as of April 16, 2024. Any gains in Chey's holdings after that date were ignored. Chey owns roughly a 17.9% stake in SK Inc., the group's flagship holding company. The court counted those shares as marital property, but the April 2024 valuation date kept the cash award from climbing higher.
SK Group's AI Boom Made the Stakes Enormous
The case centers heavily on SK Inc. shares and SK Group's surging value. SK Hynix, a key SK Group subsidiary, supplies high-bandwidth memory chips to Nvidia — the backbone of today's AI computing boom. That business has pushed SK Group's valuation sharply higher, making Chey's stake more valuable and the divorce fight more intense.
Chey's net worth sits at roughly $5.6 billion, according to Ratopati. A cash payout of $644 million is enormous even for a billionaire. Analysts say Chey may need to borrow money, sell assets, or pledge his SK Inc. shares as collateral to actually fund the settlement if it becomes final.
Affair, Public Scandal, and a Marriage That Lasted Decades
The couple married in 1988. In 2015, Chey publicly admitted he had fathered a child with another woman. The admission fueled public attention on the case and shaped how Koreans have followed it ever since. Roh filed for divorce after that revelation, according to WTOP.
Roh and Chey have three children together. Roh is described as running a digital art museum. The couple's long marriage and Roh's presidential family connections made the case a fixture in Korean media long before the court issued its landmark ruling.
What Happens Next After the Ruling
The Seoul High Court has not yet issued its full written judgment. Once that document is released, both sides have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court again. That means the 944 billion won figure could still change, according to MarketScreener.
If the ruling stands, Chey faces the immediate challenge of raising hundreds of millions of dollars in cash. Selling or pledging his SK Inc. shares — the very assets at the heart of the dispute — could be the most likely path. How he funds the payout may itself become a major story for SK Group investors.
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