{
  "id": 949008,
  "title": "South Korean AI chip tycoon appeals record US$666m divorce ruling",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/south-korean-ai-chip-tycoon-appeals-record-us-666m-divorce-ruling",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-15T04:14:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/08/1511602/south-korean-ai-chip-tycoon-appeals-record-us666m-divorce-ruling"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "SEOUL: South Korea's AI chip tycoon Chey Tae-won has appealed a court ruling that mandates him to pay his ex-wife a record-breaking US$666 million in the nation's largest divorce settlement. Chey is the chairman of the SK Group, which owns world-leading memory chipmaker SK hynix, a cornerstone of South Korea's tech-driven economy. In 2024, the Seoul High Court ordered Chey to pay 1.38 trillion won, equivalent to over US$1 billion, to his ex-wife Roh Soh-yeong, sparking media comparisons to the \"divorce of the century.\" After reconsideration by the Supreme Court, Chey managed to reduce his financial obligation to 944 billion won (US$666 million) in July 2025, still the highest asset settlement in South Korean history. The Seoul High Court's 2024 ruling stipulated that Roh was entitled to one-third of the couple's marital assets, including Chey's SK shares, acknowledging her role and support in SK Group activities. However, Chey has now appealed this July ruling, bringing the case back to the Supreme Court. His lawyers stated that the tycoon aims to minimize any adverse effects on shareholders and the Group's management. The appeal could prolong a legal saga that has spotlighted Chey's leadership of SK Group amid the AI boom's surge in value for its chip assets. SK Group shares have surged more than threefold since December 2015, the year Chey revealed his extramarital affair. According to South Korean media outlet Money Today, Chey offered Roh a combination of shares and cash for settlement to curb market impact, but she reportedly insisted on full cash payment, which would necessitate Chey selling a significant number of shares, prompting his appeal. Chey and Roh, daughter of a former South Korean president, were married since 1988 and share three children. They reportedly lived apart for over 15 years. The 2024 ruling acknowledged a 30 billion won slush fund bequeathed by Chey's father, Roh Tae-woo, but the Supreme Court dismissed this claim, stating it might have originated from illegal bribes, thus disqualifying it from the calculation. The Supreme Court had also previously ordered Chey and his lover, Kim Hee-young, to pay Roh 2 billion won in alimony, which she fulfilled in 2024.",
  "summary": "SEOUL: South Korea’s AI chip tycoon has appealed a court ruling ordering him to pay US$666 million to his former wife in the country’s largest-ever divorce settlement, his lawyers said Saturday.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Chey Tae-won's appeal of the $666 million divorce ruling means he aims to minimize the impact on SK Group's shareholders and management, potentially averting a significant sale of his shares.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}