SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won Ordered to Pay $644 Million in Divorce Settlement

A South Korean court has ordered SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his ex-wife Roh Soh-yeong 944 billion won (approximately $644 million) in the country's largest-ever divorce asset settlement, a decision that trims a previous record award amid the AI-driven surge in the conglomerate's value.

The Ruling

The Seoul High Court on Friday ruled that Roh is entitled to one-third of the couple's marital assets, to be paid in cash rather than stock. The amount is significantly lower than the 1.38 trillion won ($940 million) ordered in 2024, which had been dubbed the "divorce of the century" Source: AP News. Analysts say Chey, who holds a 17.9% stake in SK Group's holding company SK Inc., may need to sell assets or borrow against shares, though his control of the conglomerate is not expected to be threatened Source: Fox Business.

Key Disputes

• Valuation date: Roh sought to value Chey's shares at 2026 prices, which would have yielded billions, but the court used the 2024 hearing date, before AI demand drove SK Hynix's stock up fivefold Source: CNN.
• Father's contribution: The Supreme Court previously rejected arguments that alleged financial support from Roh's father, former President Roh Tae-woo, should be included. The high court's 2024 ruling had incorporated that claim, but the Supreme Court overturned it, finding the funds were illegally obtained and not a legal contribution Source: BBC.

Context and Impact

SK Group's profile has soared due to SK Hynix's role as a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips for Nvidia's AI processors. Chey's net worth has more than doubled in the past year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index . The case may return to the Supreme Court if either party appeals .