The Seoul High Court ordered SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won to pay 944 billion won to No So-young in a divorce settlement on Friday [1].

This ruling establishes a significant precedent for property division in high-net-worth divorces in South Korea. The scale of the payment reflects the court's valuation of joint assets accumulated during the marriage, including shares in the SK Group conglomerate.

The court determined that No So-young, the director of Art Center Nabi, is entitled to one-third of the couple's total joint property [2]. This division includes a variety of assets, and corporate holdings held by the chairman.

The final amount ordered by the court, 944 billion won [1], is a decrease from earlier figures cited in the legal proceedings. An anchor for YTN said the amount is lower than the previous figure, which had reached the 1.3 trillion won range [1].

The legal battle has focused on the contribution of each spouse to the growth of the family's wealth. By awarding a third of the assets, the court has recognized the role of No So-young in the management and maintenance of the joint estate.

Choi Tae-won leads the SK Group, one of South Korea's largest conglomerates. The financial implications of this settlement are substantial, though the court's decision to lower the amount from the initial 1.3 trillion won claim [1] provides a modified financial outcome for the chairman.

“The Seoul High Court ordered SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won to pay 944 billion won to No So-young”

This ruling underscores the South Korean judiciary's increasing willingness to award substantial property divisions in divorce cases involving conglomerate wealth. By granting one-third of joint assets, the court acknowledges non-financial contributions to wealth accumulation, though the reduction from 1.3 trillion won to 944 billion won suggests a specific judicial calibration of those contributions.