Court Orders SK Group Chairman to Pay $644 Million Divorce Settlement

The Seoul High Court ordered Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, to pay 944 billion won (approximately $644 million) in property division to his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, on July 24, 2026. The court awarded Roh one-third of the marital property, ruling that Chey's shares in SK Inc. are subject to division. The court also upheld a previous alimony award of 2 billion won.

This ruling is a reduction from a 2024 appellate award of 1.38 trillion won. The decrease follows a remand from the Supreme Court of Korea, which determined that 30 billion won in slush funds provided by Roh's father, former President Roh Tae-woo, were illegally obtained and could not be recognized as contributions to the couple's marital assets. The court noted that the substantial increase in share prices, driven by the artificial intelligence boom and the value of SK Hynix, was factored into the final asset division ratio.

The legal dispute, dubbed the divorce of the century, began in 2017 after Chey filed for mediation following the revelation that he had a child with another woman. If the payment is finalized, it will be the most expensive divorce in South Korean history. Chey's legal team stated he is considering an appeal.