The court deemed the fund's origins suspect, likely illegal
In a Seoul courtroom on Wednesday, the long-running divorce dispute between SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Roh Soh-yeong entered a new phase of mediation, years after a marriage of nearly four decades unraveled under the weight of infidelity and competing claims to vast wealth. The Supreme Court, having struck down a landmark 1.38 trillion won asset division order while affirming the divorce and a modest alimony payment, returned the question of marital property to the appellate court for fresh consideration. What remains unresolved is not merely a financial calculation but a deeper reckoning with how shared lives, inherited legacies, and the boundaries of legitimate wealth intersect before the law.
- A decade of litigation reached a pivotal moment as both sides entered mediation with no guarantee either is prepared to yield.
- The Supreme Court's rejection of a purported 30 billion-won slush fund—allegedly rooted in the late former President Roh Tae-woo's era—stripped the lower court's massive asset division order of its legal foundation.
- Roh Soh-yeong arrived at the courthouse in silence while Chey Tae-won sent lawyers in his place, signaling the distance that still separates the two parties.
- The core dispute now turns on which assets belong to the marital estate and how much credit Roh deserves for their accumulation across nearly forty years of marriage.
- If mediation fails, a new appellate ruling and a potential third Supreme Court review could extend this case further into the future, with enormous financial and reputational consequences for both sides.
The Seoul High Court opened a mediation session Wednesday in the divorce case between SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and his former wife Roh Soh-yeong, daughter of the late President Roh Tae-woo. The case, which has moved through the courts for over a decade, returned to the appellate level after the Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling last October.
That ruling had ordered Chey to transfer approximately 1.38 trillion won—around $922 million—to Roh as her share of marital assets. The Supreme Court struck it down, rejecting the appellate court's reliance on an alleged 30 billion-won slush fund said to have been passed from the former president to Chey's father years earlier. The justices found the fund's origins likely illegal and therefore ineligible for division. The court did, however, confirm the divorce and uphold Chey's obligation to pay Roh 2 billion won in alimony.
The marriage had spanned thirty-eight years and produced three children. It fractured in 2015 when Chey publicly admitted to an extramarital affair and acknowledged fathering a child outside the marriage. He filed for divorce settlement two years later.
On Wednesday, Roh arrived at the courthouse without speaking to reporters. Chey did not appear, represented instead by his legal team. The mediation centered on two questions: which assets properly belong to the marital estate, and to what extent did Roh contribute to their formation during the marriage. Her answers to those questions will determine whether she receives anything beyond the alimony already secured.
Should the two sides fail to reach agreement, the appellate court will issue a new ruling—and another Supreme Court appeal remains possible. For Roh, the difference between outcomes is substantial. For Chey, the resolution will carry consequences both financial and reputational, touching the public image of one of South Korea's most prominent business dynasties.
The Seoul High Court convened a mediation session on Wednesday morning to untangle one of South Korea's most closely watched marital property disputes. At the center sits Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, and his former wife Roh Soh-yeong, whose father once held the presidency. The case has wound through the courts for over a decade, and now, after the Supreme Court sent it back for reconsideration, both sides face the prospect of negotiating what neither has been willing to concede.
The Supreme Court's October decision had upended the lower court's ruling in a single, decisive stroke. Where an appellate panel had ordered Chey to transfer approximately 1.38 trillion won—roughly $922 million—to Roh as her share of marital assets, the top court struck that down. The justices rejected the appellate court's acceptance of a purported 30 billion-won slush fund that the late former President Roh Tae-woo had allegedly channeled to Chey's father decades earlier. The court deemed the fund's origins suspect, likely illegal, and therefore ineligible for division. Yet the Supreme Court did not erase the marriage entirely from the legal record. It affirmed the divorce itself and upheld Chey's obligation to pay Roh 2 billion won in alimony—a fraction of what she had sought.
The couple's marriage had lasted thirty-eight years. They wed in 1988 and raised three children together. But in 2015, Chey made a public announcement that fractured the relationship: he admitted to an extramarital affair and to fathering a child outside the marriage. Two years later, he filed for divorce settlement, setting in motion a legal process that would consume the next decade.
On Wednesday, Roh arrived at the courthouse without comment, declining to speak with reporters gathered outside. Chey did not appear in person; his lawyers represented him in the mediation room. The two sides were tasked with a narrower but still contentious question: what assets actually belonged to the marital estate, and to what degree had Roh contributed to their accumulation? These are the questions that will determine whether she receives anything beyond the 2 billion won the court has already guaranteed.
The mediation represents a critical juncture. If the two sides can reach agreement on the scope of divisible property and Roh's role in building SK Group's wealth during their marriage, the case could resolve without further litigation. If they cannot, the appellate court will be forced to issue a new ruling, and the prospect of another appeal to the Supreme Court looms. For Roh, the stakes remain substantial—the difference between walking away with alimony alone or securing a meaningful share of assets accumulated during nearly four decades of marriage. For Chey, the outcome will shape not only his personal finances but also the public narrative around one of South Korea's most prominent business families.
Citações Notáveis
The Supreme Court struck down the appeals court's recognition of a purported 30 billion-won slush fund, ruling the alleged fund appeared to have been illegal.— Seoul High Court mediation proceedings
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did the Supreme Court send this back instead of simply ruling in Chey's favor?
Because the lower court's reasoning was flawed. The justices agreed the divorce should stand and that Chey owed alimony, but they couldn't accept the legal foundation for the massive asset transfer. That slush fund looked too murky.
So Roh lost almost everything in October?
Not quite. She kept the 2 billion won alimony and the right to argue her case again. But yes, the 1.38 trillion won order vanished. The question now is whether she can prove she deserves a share of what they built together.
Why didn't Chey show up on Wednesday?
He didn't need to. His lawyers can negotiate the terms. It's also a statement—he's not treating this as a personal conversation anymore. It's purely legal.
What happens if they can't agree in mediation?
The court writes a new ruling on asset division. Then likely another appeal. This could drag on for years.
Does the fact that her father was president matter here?
It matters to the public narrative, but legally? Only insofar as it drew attention to the case. The court has to decide based on what Roh actually contributed to SK Group's wealth, not her family name.