High-Profile Divorce Sparks Wealth and Ownership Scrutiny in South Korea

The divorce case between SK Group's chairman, Chey Tae-won, and Roh Soh-yeong, the daughter of a former president, has resumed. With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, the case, at Seoul's High Court, could affect ownership of SK Group, amid intense scrutiny on wealth tied to the AI chip boom.

An appeals court has resumed hearings on the high-profile divorce case between the chairman of SK Group, Chey Tae-won, and the daughter of a former South Korean president, Roh Soh-yeong. This has reopened a significant dispute capturing public attention amid South Korea's economic boom linked to AI chips.

The case involves potential implications for ownership of SK Group, the country's second-largest conglomerate after Samsung, with hundreds of millions of dollars in question. Neither Chey nor Roh attended the recent Seoul High Court hearing, which follows failed mediation after the Supreme Court overturned parts of a previous record award to Roh.

The court is tasked with reassessing whether Chey's shares in SK Inc are marital property, a decision with profound implications, given the rising value of SK company shares, driven by SK Hynix's partnership with U.S. AI chip giant Nvidia. This case underscores the interconnected nature of business and politics in South Korea.