SK Group Chairman Ordered to Pay 944 Billion Won in 'Divorce of the Century'
Seoul High Court awarded billionaire Chey Tae-won's ex-wife approximately $640 million, lower than a previous overturned ruling.
Seoul High Court awarded billionaire Chey Tae-won's ex-wife approximately $640 million, lower than a previous overturned ruling.
Seoul High Court ruled on Friday, June 26, 2026, that SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won must pay his ex-wife Roh So-yeong 944 billion won, approximately $640 million according to AP, or about $644 million according to the South China Morning Post. The difference in dollar amounts is due to varying exchange rates at the time of publication. South Korean media have dubbed the case the 'divorce of the century.'
The new ruling is lower than the court's previous decision, which awarded Roh So-yeong 1.38 trillion won (about $940 million). The Supreme Court of South Korea overturned that decision and remanded the case for retrial, primarily because the Supreme Court found that alleged slush funds of 30 billion won (about $20.4 million) that Roh's father paid to SK Group during his presidency cannot be legally recognized as a contribution to the company's growth. In addition to asset division, Chey was previously ordered to pay 2 billion won (about $1.3 million) in alimony.
Chey Tae-won and Roh So-yeong married in 1988 and have three children together. Roh So-yeong is the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo and currently directs Art Centre Nabi, an arts center in Seoul. The marriage was once described as a union of the country's two most powerful dynasties: business and politics. In 2015, Chey publicly revealed he was in a relationship with another woman and had a child with her, and he filed for divorce in 2017. Roh So-yeong did not attend Friday's ruling.
The financial dimensions of the case have further grown due to the global wave of investment in artificial intelligence (AI). SK Hynix, the semiconductor subsidiary of SK Group that produces high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI systems, has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of this demand. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Chey Tae-won's net worth stands at about $5.6 billion, having more than doubled over the past year. In July 2026, SK Hynix listed on the U.S. stock exchange, raising $26.5 billion-a record for a foreign issuer-and the company's market value exceeded $1 trillion.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of a long-standing debate about South Korea's chaebols, family-run conglomerates that dominate the economy. Critics argue that close ties between these corporations and politics often lead to inequality and legal circumvention, while proponents highlight their key contribution to South Korea's economic development. Roh So-yeong argued in court that her father's family connections significantly contributed to SK Group's success, while Chey contested this, claiming he largely built his wealth after they separated.
Chey Tae-won's lawyer told reporters outside the court that the billionaire regrets the public concern caused by the divorce proceedings and will decide on a potential appeal after reviewing the full text of the ruling, according to the South China Morning Post. The case could return to the Supreme Court if Chey or Roh lodge an appeal. Separately, Chey is part of the South Korean business delegation accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on a trip to the United States, where the president is scheduled to meet with leaders of Anthropic, OpenAI, and Nvidia to promote investment in South Korea's AI and semiconductor sectors.
