A South Korean appellate court has ruled that SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won must pay his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, approximately 944 billion won, roughly $640 million, as part of their divorce settlement. The ruling, handed down on July 24, brings a degree of closure to a legal saga that has captivated South Korea for over a decade and carries real implications for the corporate empire sitting at the heart of the global AI chip supply chain.
A decade-long legal battle reaches a turning point
Chey and Roh separated in 2011. Chey publicly sought a divorce in 2015 after admitting to an extramarital affair. What followed has been dubbed South Korea’s “divorce of the century,” a label that has less to do with romance and more to do with the staggering sums involved.
A prior court ruling had awarded Roh approximately 1.38 trillion won, or about $1 billion. But South Korea’s Supreme Court partially overturned that decision in October 2025, sending the asset division back for reconsideration. Mediation attempts between the two parties failed on June 15, 2026, pushing the case back into formal trial proceedings. The latest ruling of 944 billion won represents a significant reduction from the earlier $1 billion figure. The door remains open for further appeals.
