South Korean Tech Titan Ordered to Pay Ex-Wife $644 Million in Landmark Divorce Settlement

A South Korean court has ordered SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, 944 billion won (about $644 million) in one of the largest divorce settlements in the country’s history, bringing another dramatic chapter to a legal battle that has gripped South Korea for nearly a decade.

The ruling, delivered by the Seoul High Court on Friday, follows a review ordered by the country’s Supreme Court. Although the latest award is significantly lower than the 1.38 trillion won (about $940 million) ordered by the same court in 2024, it remains the biggest divorce settlement ever awarded in South Korea.

Chey, chairman of SK Group; one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates and parent company of AI chip giant SK Hynix, married Roh, the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo, in 1988.

Their union was once viewed as a powerful alliance between business and political elites. However, the marriage unraveled after Chey publicly admitted in 2015 that he had an extramarital relationship and fathered a child with another woman. He filed for divorce in 2017, triggering a lengthy legal battle over the division of his vast fortune.

The Supreme Court earlier ruled that allegations claiming Roh’s father had provided about 30 billion won in financial support that contributed to SK Group’s growth could not legally be considered when dividing the couple’s assets.

As a result, the appellate court recalculated the settlement, reducing it from the earlier record award while still recognizing that Roh made substantial contributions during the marriage, including supporting Chey’s business and public activities.

The court ordered that the settlement be paid in cash, allowing Chey to retain his controlling stake in SK Group rather than transferring company shares.

The decision is seen as significant for investors because SK Group controls major businesses in semiconductors, telecommunications, energy and biotechnology. Analysts said a share transfer could have affected the conglomerate’s ownership structure and corporate governance. Following the ruling, shares in SK Inc. and SK Hynix fell as investors assessed the financial implications.

The case has drawn additional attention because Chey’s wealth has surged in recent years, largely due to the rapid rise of SK Hynix, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-bandwidth memory chips used in artificial intelligence systems.

The AI-driven semiconductor boom dramatically increased the value of Chey’s holdings, making the divorce one of Asia’s most closely watched wealth disputes.

Neither Chey nor Roh attended Friday’s hearing. Lawyers for Chey indicated they are considering another appeal, meaning the case could return to South Korea’s Supreme Court.

If no further appeal is filed, the ruling will bring an end to a legal dispute that South Korean media have widely dubbed the “divorce of the century.”