SK Group Divorce Settlement: Chey Tae-won, Roh Soh-yeong Asset Dispute Hinges on SK Inc. Stock Valuation Date
The high-stakes asset dispute between SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, reignited in a Seoul courtroom on Monday. The monumental scale of their divorce settlement now critically hinges on a contested question: the precise date for valuing Chey’s substantial SK Inc. stock stake. This ongoing legal battle is a pivotal moment for South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate.
Since the couple’s last appellate hearing in April 2024, the value of SK Inc. shares has dramatically surged, roughly quadrupling. This unprecedented growth in the holding company at the apex of South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate is largely driven by the robust performance of SK hynix and escalating global demand for high-performance memory chips essential for artificial intelligence (AI). While the divorce itself is finalized, the contentious division of marital assets remains unresolved. This significant market surge transforms the settlement into a multitrillion-won dilemma, directly impacting Chairman Chey Tae-won’s control and ownership of the vast SK Group.
The Seoul High Court’s family division convened a second mediation session on Monday afternoon. This marked the prominent couple’s first joint courtroom appearance since their final appellate hearing regarding the divorce in April 2024, underscoring the ongoing efforts to resolve their complex financial dispute.
Chairman Chey Tae-won did not attend the initial mediation session held last month.
Central to this elaborate legal tussle is the determination of whether Chairman Chey Tae-won’s substantial stake of approximately 17.9 percent in SK Inc. qualifies as marital property, and, crucially, the specific date its value should be legally fixed. According to Korean family law, asset settlements are meticulously divided based on each spouse’s documented contribution to the couple’s accumulated wealth, rather than an automatic 50/50 split. Chairman Chey’s legal team contends that these SK Inc. shares are personal assets, acquired through inheritance or as gifts, and therefore, their valuation should be set at the appellate date of April 16, 2024.
Conversely, Roh Soh-yeong’s legal representatives assert that the shares constitute joint marital property, and consequently, their valuation should reflect the significantly higher current market price of SK Inc. stock.
This contentious valuation timing represents the core financial discrepancy in the settlement. When the appellate court concluded arguments in 2024, SK Inc. shares were trading around 176,000 won, which placed the estimated value of Chey’s stake at approximately 2 trillion won (equivalent to $1.3 billion USD). However, by June 12, the shares soared to close at about 593,000 won. Depending on which of at least three potential valuation dates the court ultimately selects, the identical shareholding could be valued anywhere from roughly 2 trillion won to a staggering figure exceeding 7 trillion won.
A previous appellate ruling in 2024 initially ordered Chairman Chey to pay a record-breaking 1.38 trillion won. However, the Supreme Court subsequently overturned this award in October 2025, specifically rejecting the lower court’s reliance on claims regarding alleged slush funds reportedly tied to Roh’s father, former President Roh Tae-woo. This legal precedent further complicates the current proceedings.
The method by which Chairman Chey Tae-won would fund any potential settlement extends far beyond just family finances. A significant portion of his personal wealth is intrinsically tied up in illiquid SK Inc. shares, rather than readily available cash. Furthermore, a segment of his substantial stake is already pledged as collateral against existing loans. This scenario leaves securing additional loans or executing large-scale share sales as the primary and most probable options for the chairman, whose influential SK Group notably controls a leading global supplier of advanced AI memory chips.
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