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SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won ordered to pay $644 million in South Korea's 'divorce of the century
A Seoul High Court has ordered SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his ex‑wife Roh Soh‑yeong roughly 944 billion won (about $640‑$645 million) as part of the long‑running divorce case dubbed the “divorce of the century”. The ruling reduces an earlier 2024 award of 1.38 trillion won (about $940 million).
Roh, the daughter of former President Roh Tae‑woo, was granted about one‑third of the couple’s marital assets, while Chey retains the remaining two‑thirds. The court declined to count a 30 billion‑won fund allegedly provided by Roh’s father, labeling it illegal and therefore excluded from the asset pool.
The dispute began after Chey publicly admitted in 2015 to an extramarital affair and a child with another woman, leading to divorce proceedings that have spanned nearly a decade. Chey’s fortune, largely tied to SK Group’s AI‑driven growth and its semiconductor arm SK Hynix, has more than doubled in recent years, heightening public interest. The settlement is not final and may be appealed.