One of South Korea’s wealthiest businessmen is at the centre of one of the country’s most closely watched divorce battles, with the final outcome potentially costing him nearly $1 billion.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, one of South Korea’s leading technology and artificial intelligence investors, is awaiting a crucial court decision that could reshape one of the nation’s biggest corporate fortunes.
The 65-year-old billionaire has been locked in a lengthy legal battle with his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, following the collapse of their marriage after Chey admitted to having a child with another woman.
The latest ruling, expected from a South Korean court, follows years of legal disputes over property ownership, corporate wealth, and the origins of one of Asia’s largest business empires.
A marriage that once captivated South Korea
Chey Tae-won and Roh Soh-yeong married in 1988 in what many South Koreans described as the country’s “wedding of the century.”
Roh is the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo, while Chey comes from the family behind SK Group, one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates.
The couple had three children together and were widely regarded as one of the nation’s most influential families.
However, everything changed in 2015 when Chey publicly admitted that he had fallen in love with another woman and fathered a child outside the marriage.
His revelation shocked South Korea and immediately placed the powerful family under intense public scrutiny.
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Divorce battle begins
Initially, Roh refused to divorce her husband, saying she wanted to preserve their family.
She later changed her position, stating that allowing Chey to pursue the happiness he wanted was ultimately the right decision.
Although their divorce was officially finalised in October 2025, the dispute over how their enormous wealth should be divided has continued through multiple court proceedings.
Affair partner also faced lawsuit
Chey’s longtime partner, Kim Hee-young, also became involved in the legal battle.
Kim, who uses the English name Chloe, now works with Chey through a charitable foundation they established together.
Roh later sued Kim over the affair, arguing that the relationship destroyed her marriage and caused severe emotional distress.
A South Korean court agreed, ordering Kim to pay damages of approximately $1.5 million.
Fight over SK Group fortune
The biggest issue before the courts has not been the divorce itself but the ownership of Chey’s business wealth.
Roh has argued that her family’s political influence and support significantly contributed to SK Group’s rise from a modest energy company into one of South Korea’s largest multinational corporations.
Her legal team presented handwritten notes reportedly belonging to her mother that they claim suggest former President Roh Tae-woo secretly provided financial support to SK during its early expansion.
Chey’s lawyers have consistently denied those allegations, insisting that his SK shares originated entirely from assets inherited through his own family.
Earlier ruling awarded nearly $1 billion
In 2024, a South Korean court ruled in Roh’s favour, ordering Chey to transfer approximately 35 per cent of his assets, valued at nearly $1 billion, as part of the divorce settlement.
The decision immediately became one of the largest divorce awards ever granted in South Korea.
Chey appealed the judgment, arguing that the court incorrectly assessed how the wealth was created.
Supreme Court intervenes
South Korea’s Supreme Court later overturned the earlier decision.
The court ruled that the previous judgment had improperly included alleged financial contributions linked to Roh’s father when calculating her entitlement to the business fortune.
As a result, the case was sent back for another hearing to determine the appropriate division of assets.
That retrial is now reaching its conclusion, with a decision expected on July 24.
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SK Group’s growing value
The legal battle comes during a period of remarkable financial success for SK Group.
The company’s semiconductor business has benefited significantly from the global boom in artificial intelligence, driving substantial increases in its market value.
Shares in the chipmaker have reportedly increased almost tenfold since the beginning of 2025.
That surge has helped boost Chey’s estimated personal fortune to approximately $5 billion, making him one of South Korea’s richest individuals.
Case attracting global attention
The divorce proceedings have attracted international interest because they combine family disputes, corporate ownership, political history and enormous financial stakes.
Legal experts say the outcome could influence future divorce cases involving controlling shareholders of major South Korean corporations.
Regardless of the final ruling, the dispute has already become one of the most expensive and high-profile divorce battles in Asia’s corporate history.
For more information about SK Group, visit the official SK Group website.
Information about South Korea’s court system is available through the Supreme Court of Korea
