Founder of Smilegate appeals divorce ruling

Seoul, South Korea - The founder of video game giant Smilegate, Kwon Hyuk-bin, has filed an appeal against a court's decision ordering him to pay his wife 2.55 trillion won (US$1.87 billion) in their divorce proceedings, according to his legal representatives. The ruling, handed down on September 9 by the Seoul Family Court, is potentially the largest property split in a South Korean divorce case.

Kwon is appealing the decision, hoping to restore their marriage, while his ex-wife, Lee, filed for divorce in November 2022. The court ordered Kwon to hand over a 35% stake in Smilegate, which he owns outright, as part of the marital asset division. However, Kwon's lawyers argue that Lee's contribution to the company's assets was minimal.

Kwon, born in 1974, co-founded Smilegate in 2002 and served as its chairman since 2012. The couple lived apart from 2020 onwards, with Lee claiming in court that Kwon had been neglectful of their family duties. Lee had previously claimed to hold a 30% stake in Smilegate during its early stages, but Kwon maintains he had no part in the marriage's dissolution and does not want to divorce.