SEOUL (special crosspondent) – A South Korean court has ordered SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, 944 billion won—equivalent to approximately US$644 million or PKR 184 billion—in one of the largest divorce settlements in the country’s history. South Korean media have widely described the case as the “most expensive divorce of the century.”

Judicial Review and Settlement Revision

According to reports, the latest ruling reduces an earlier 1.38 trillion won award issued in 2024. The South Korean Supreme Court initially sent the case back for reconsideration after identifying specific legal and calculation issues, prompting the Seoul High Court to revise the settlement to 944 billion won. The ruling remains subject to potential further legal proceedings as the parties navigate the complexities of supporting business stability within family-run conglomerates.

Background of the Union

Chey Tae-won and Roh Soh-yeong were married in 1988. Roh is the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo. Their high-profile marriage collapsed after Chey publicly admitted in 2015 that he had fathered a child with another woman outside the marriage. Following this disclosure, Roh filed for divorce and sought a significant share of the couple’s accumulated marital assets.

Corporate Impact on SK Group

SK Group stands as South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate, with vast business interests spanning semiconductors, telecommunications, energy, and chemicals. Its subsidiary, SK Hynix, remains one of the world’s leading memory chip manufacturers and serves as a critical supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips to NVIDIA. The company has benefited significantly from the global boom in artificial intelligence technologies, drawing further public scrutiny toward its governance and ownership structure.

Broader Legal Implications

Legal experts suggest that this ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for future divorce, inheritance, and corporate ownership disputes. As South Korea evaluates how regulatory frameworks impact national entities, the decision underscores the growing tension between personal marital disputes and the stability of family-controlled corporate dynasties.