SK chairman appeals $1 billion divorce settlement to Supreme Court

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has appealed the high court's recent ruling ordering him to pay 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) in a settlement to his estranged wife, Roh Soh-yeong.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, and his estranged wife Roh Soh-yeong attend the Seoul High Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on April 16. [NEWS1]

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has appealed the high court's recent ruling ordering him to pay 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) in a settlement to his estranged wife, Roh Soh-yeong.

The case has now been handed to the Supreme Court, which will make the final decision.

Chey has argued that there is a “critical error” in the country's most expensive divorce settlement, which could jeopardize his control over Korea's No. 2 conglomerate while gathering the required funds.

Seoul's high court partially corrected the ruling but maintained the settlement amount at 1.38 trillion won as previously ruled.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]