Chey Tae-won, chairman of South Korea’s SK Group and a leading figure in the country’s technology sector, may be ordered to pay nearly $1 billion to his ex-wife in what has been described as South Korea’s "divorce of the century." The case is set for a decisive ruling on Friday.

Chey, 65, gained national attention in 2015 when he publicly revealed in a newspaper letter that he had fathered a child with a woman outside of his marriage and sought a “clean end” to his relationship with Roh Soh-yeong, also 65. Roh is the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo. The couple’s marriage began in 1988 with a high-profile ceremony held at the presidential Blue House, shortly after Roh’s father assumed office, and was widely regarded at the time as one of the nation’s most notable unions.

The dispute revolves around the division of Chey’s growing assets, which have significantly increased in value amid the soaring stock price of SK Hynix, the semiconductor company under the SK Group umbrella known for supplying chips to Nvidia’s AI systems. Since early 2025, the company’s shares have increased roughly tenfold, inflating the worth of Chey’s holdings considerably.

Roh is seeking half of Chey’s assets, asking the appeals court to assess their value based on current market figures. Legal experts indicate that this approach could raise her potential settlement to nearly $1 billion. The case has attracted extensive public interest in South Korea, incorporating elements of a high-profile extramarital affair, ties to a former presidential family, allegations concerning slush funds, and a struggle over control of one of the country’s major technology conglomerates.

Chey’s initial public statement on the dissolution of his marriage referenced the opening line of Leo Tolstoy’s "Anna Karenina," reflecting the complex and personal nature of the case: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The forthcoming court decision is expected to bring a conclusion to a case that has captivated the nation for several years.