SK Group chairman challenges court's property division in divorce suit with ex-wife
This file composite photo shows SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, and his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong. Yonhap
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on Monday is said to be challenging the court's property division in his ongoing suit with his former wife, which set the wife's share at 33 percent of their shared property subject to division.
The SK chairman raised the issue in a document submitted to the Supreme Court earlier in the day, as part of his appeal filed in August against the Seoul High Court's decision ordering him to pay 944 billion won ($707.8 million) in property division to his former wife Roh Soh-yeong, the daughter of late former President Roh Tae-woo.
The appellate court issued the ruling in its second trial after the Supreme Court sent its previous ruling back for retrial a year earlier, determining that the former president's alleged 30 billion-won slush fund given to SK Group should not be recognized as the daughter's contribution to the marriage because it would have been illegal funds, even if it existed.
In the document Chey's side submitted to the Supreme Court as part of his appeal, the SK Group chairman reportedly disputed the legality of the appellate court's latest decision, which set his former wife's share of the property division at 33.3 percent, despite excluding the slush fund from her contributions.
The court initially set Roh's share at 35 percent in its first ruling.
Chey's side also reportedly disputed the court's decision to factor in recent sharp increases in SK shares when determining Roh's share of the property division.
SK shares were valued at around 160,000 won when the appellate court was conducting its first trial, but had surged to around 800,000 won by the time it was conducting the retrial.
Roh's side has yet to file a countering document with the Supreme Court, and she has until Tuesday to do so.
Chey initiated divorce proceedings in 2017 after admitting two years earlier to having an extramarital lover and a child with her. Chey and Roh married in 1988 and have three children together.