Chey Tae-won challenges 944 billion won divorce property division in South Korea

SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won submitted grounds for appeal to South Korea’s Supreme Court on October 12, challenging a Seoul High Court ruling that ordered him to pay 944 billion won to his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong. The filing puts the calculation of their marital property division before the court again; it does not resolve the amount Roh will receive.

The July ruling set Roh’s share of the assets at 33.3 percent. Chey’s side disputes the legal basis for that percentage after the court removed an alleged contribution linked to Roh’s father, former President Roh Tae-woo. It also challenges how gains in SK shares were treated in setting the division ratio, according to Yonhap and ChosunBiz.

Why the 33.3 percent share is disputed

The property award follows an earlier appellate calculation that assigned Roh 35 percent of the assets. South Korea’s Supreme Court sent the property division back for review, and the Seoul High Court reduced her share by 1.7 percentage points on remand. The resulting order to pay 944 billion won is the ruling Chey is now contesting; Yonhap valued that sum at US$707.8 million when it reported the filing.

The earlier Supreme Court decision, issued in October 2025, addressed an alleged 30 billion won associated with former President Roh Tae-woo. It said money could not be counted as a contribution to the formation of marital assets if it had been illegally acquired. That ruling set a constraint for the court reconsidering the division, rather than deciding the amount payable under its new calculation.

How SK share gains entered the appeal

Chey is also challenging the treatment of an increase in SK shares. ChosunBiz reported that the shares were around 160,000 won when arguments closed in the earlier appellate trial and around 800,000 won when arguments closed in the remand trial. Those figures describe prices at two points in the proceedings; they do not, on their own, establish how much either spouse should receive.

According to ChosunBiz, the remand court valued the assets as of April 16, 2024, yet considered the subsequent rise in the shares when determining the final division ratio. Chey’s side says that approach raises a legal issue. The Supreme Court has not ruled on that challenge in this latest appeal, so the effect of the share-price argument on the award remains unresolved.

Chey’s side separately questions the inclusion of equity in SK Siltron among assets subject to division, ChosunBiz reported. It says he acquired that holding in 2017, after the marriage had broken down. That is another question placed before the court in the property dispute; the October 12 filing does not establish that the holding will be excluded.

What happens in the Supreme Court case

The dispute stems from divorce proceedings Chey initiated in 2017. Chey and Roh married in 1988 and have three children, according to Yonhap. ChosunBiz reported that the divorce itself had been confirmed in earlier Supreme Court proceedings. The present appeal concerns the property division, including the percentage awarded to Roh and the treatment of particular assets and gains.

As of its October 12 report, Yonhap said Roh had not filed a countering document and had until Tuesday, October 13, to do so. ChosunBiz likewise reported at the time that she had not filed an incidental appeal. Those reports establish her filing status only at publication; they do not show whether she submitted anything later.

The Supreme Court must now consider Chey’s objections to the remand ruling. Neither report establishes when it will decide the latest appeal or what the final property division will be. For now, the confirmed development is the filing of his grounds for appeal against the 944 billion won award, with the challenged calculation still awaiting review.