▲ These file images show SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won (L) and Roh Soh-yeong appearing for a hearing at the Seoul High Court in the capital city on April 16, 2024. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) SK Group chairman-divorce ruling

(2nd LD) Supreme Court sends back SK Group chairman's divorce case to lower court

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By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Yonhap) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a lower court's ruling for SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay about 1.4 trillion won (US$986 million) in property division to his estranged wife, in a respite for Chey over the nation's biggest divorce settlement case.

The top court sent the case back to the lower court for review, citing issues with the property division between Chey, the chairman of South Korea's second-largest conglomerate, and Roh Soh-yeong.

In May last year, the Seoul High Court ordered Chey to pay 1.38 trillion won in property division and 2 billion won in alimony to Roh, former President Roh Tae-woo's only daughter.

The Supreme Court said the former president's financial support of 30 billion won to Chey's father, which had been recognized by the lower court, could not be considered as the younger Roh's contribution in the property division.

Meanwhile, the top court confirmed the 2 billion won in alimony for Roh, saying it did not find issues with the amount.

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.

Roh raised a countersuit in 2019, demanding around half of the SK shares owned by Chey in the property division.

In December 2022, the Seoul Family Court ordered Chey to pay 100 million won in alimony and 66.5 billion won in cash as part of the property division.

The appellate court, however, determined the couple's combined wealth to be 4 trillion won, with a division rate of 65 percent for Chey and 35 percent for Roh, acknowledging contributions to SK Group from the former president and his daughter.

Chey appealed the ruling, claiming errors in the calculation of Roh's contribution to the company's growth.

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