A South Korean court has ordered SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his former wife more than $640 million, creating what local coverage has described as the country's largest divorce asset award. The ruling has drawn intense attention because of the size of the payment and the status of one of South Korea's best-known business leaders.
The Chey Tae-won South Korea divorce payout is being seen as a landmark case for the country's courts and corporate elite. With the award reported at about $645 million, the decision stands out not only as a major personal legal loss for the billionaire, but also as a significant moment in South Korea's history of high-value divorce settlements.
The scale of the order could also have financial implications for Chey. Based on reports, meeting the obligation may require him to sell assets or seek financing, a development that investors and market watchers are likely to follow closely because of his role at SK Group.
While the trimmed report does not detail the court's full reasoning, the case has already become widely known as South Korea's “divorce of the century.” The outcome underscores how family law disputes involving major business fortunes can ripple beyond private lives and into broader discussions about wealth, ownership and corporate control.
