SEOUL (special crosspondent) – A high-profile South Korean court has ordered SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, a record-breaking 944 billion won—equivalent to approximately US$644 million or PKR 184 billion—marking what local media have labeled the “most expensive divorce of the century.”

Legal Background of the Settlement

According to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press (AP), this latest judicial decision serves as a significant adjustment following a prior 1.38 trillion won award issued in 2024. The South Korean Supreme Court initially remanded the case for further deliberation after identifying specific legal and calculation discrepancies. Consequently, the Seoul High Court revised the settlement figure to 944 billion won. Legal observers note that the ruling remains subject to further potential litigation as both parties navigate the complex legal landscape.

Context of the Marriage and Separation

Chey Tae-won and Roh Soh-yeong were married in 1988, a union that garnered significant public attention due to Roh being the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo. The marital relationship faced a public collapse in 2015 when Chey officially acknowledged fathering a child outside of the marriage. Following this disclosure, Roh initiated divorce proceedings, seeking an equitable division of the couple’s extensive marital assets.

Corporate Impact on SK Group

SK Group maintains its status as South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate, with a vast operational footprint spanning telecommunications, energy, chemicals, and semiconductors. Its subsidiary, SK Hynix, continues to hold a dominant position as one of the world’s leading memory chip manufacturers. The company remains a pivotal supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips to technology giant NVIDIA, reaping substantial rewards from the ongoing global surge in artificial intelligence infrastructure, similar to how Seoul Tokyo and London Named Top Global Study Destinations 2027 highlights shifting trends in international professional landscapes. Legal analysts suggest that the high-stakes ruling is expected to have long-term consequences for divorce, inheritance, and corporate governance disputes within the nation’s influential family-controlled conglomerates, often referred to as chaebols.