Betrayal, Prison, and Billions: Details of the Most High-Profile Divorce in Korea

A court ordered SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his ex-wife Roh Soh-yeong 944 billion won ($644 million) — one of the largest divorce settlements in South Korea. The marriage, which began in 1988, collapsed after the billionaire's infidelity in 2015. The appellate court's decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Seoul High Court ordered the chairman of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, Chey Tae-won, to pay his ex-wife Roh Soh-yeong 944 billion won (about $644 million) — one of the largest divorce settlements in South Korean history. The marriage, which began in 1988, once symbolized a union of big business and politics: Chey is a billionaire and corporate head, while Roh is the daughter of a former president. However, after the businessman announced in 2015 that he was leaving the family for another woman, a high-profile divorce ensued. The situation was complicated by a sharp rise in SK Hynix shares amid the AI boom, turning the asset division into a battle over multi-billion-dollar assets. The court ordered a payment lower than the plaintiff's initial demands, but both sides retain the right to appeal to the Supreme Court. The article cites the NYT and describes the story as a dramatic scandal that attracted global tabloid attention.