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Court set to reopen SK Group chairman's 1.4 trillion-won divorce settlement case

Published: 09 Jan. 2026, 12:51

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, and Roh Soh-yeong, his estranged wife and daughter of former President Roh Tae-woo, arrive at the Seoul High Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on April 16, 2024 for an appeals hearing in their divorce case. [YONHAP]

An appeals court is set to reopen SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's divorce settlement case Friday after the Supreme Court sent the case back, citing issues with the property division, in what would be the nation's biggest divorce case.

Last October, the top court partially overturned the Seoul High Court's ruling that ordered Chey to pay about 1.38 trillion won ($950 million) in asset division to his now-former wife, Roh Soh-yeong — daughter of late former President Roh Tae-woo.

While the appeals court had recognized a purported slush fund of 30 billion won allegedly funneled from the former president to Chey's father in the property division, the Supreme Court said it could not be considered as the alleged fund appeared to have been illegally formed.

The top court still confirmed the divorce and the lower court's order for Chey to pay 2 billion won in alimony.

Friday's hearing is expected to take place behind closed doors and focus on newly determining the property division while excluding the alleged slush fund from Roh's contributions.

Roh plans to appear in the courtroom to make a statement.

The case dates back to 2015, when Chey announced a divorce plan, admitting to having an extramarital lover and a child with her, and filed for a divorce settlement two years later.

Chey and Roh married in 1988 and have three children.

Yonhap