A South Korean court has mandated that Chey Tae-won, the chairman of the conglomerate SK Group, pay his former spouse 944 billion won ($644 million) to resolve their divorce. Local media have described this legal battle as the divorce of the century. Although significant, this amount is lower than the 1.38 trillion won figure suggested during 2024 proceedings.
The couple, married for 35 years, separated after it was revealed that Chey had a child with another woman. The dispute over assets is complicated by the historical influence of the bride’s father, Roh Tae-woo, who was South Korea’s president from 1988 to 1993. Legal arguments previously suggested that Roh provided Chey with 30 billion won from a slush fund, though the Supreme Court later ruled these illicit funds could not be counted as marital assets.
SK Group, the second-largest chaebol in South Korea, has seen its profile rise significantly due to its subsidiary SK Hynix, a key player in the global AI chip market. Despite the legal turmoil, Chey remains a prominent figure in the nation’s business landscape. Attorneys for the chairman stated he regrets the public attention the case has garnered and will evaluate the ruling before determining the next steps.
