South Korea’s Seoul High Court has issued a new ruling in the divorce case involving SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, ordering him to pay 944 billion won in cash to former spouse Roh So-young, or about $643 million.
The size of the award and its connection to the ownership structure around SK Hynix quickly drew attention across financial markets. The key point in the ruling is that Roh is to receive cash rather than core equity, a distinction that has eased concern that Chey could be pushed into selling important holdings.
Cash settlement leaves core holdings intact
Under the court’s decision, Roh will receive a cash property settlement, while Chey keeps his entire stake in SK Inc., the group’s holding company.
Before the ruling, the market had been focused on the possibility that Chey might need to transfer or sharply reduce his stake, which could have opened questions around control of the wider group. Because Chey controls SK Hynix indirectly through the holding-company structure, preserving that stake is seen as supporting continuity in management and reducing worries over dilution or a broader control dispute.
Financing options in focus
With a 944 billion won cash obligation now in place, the report said market analysts believe Chey has several financing tools available and would not need to monetize core assets linked to SK Hynix through outright sales.
Possible funding routes mentioned in the report include share-backed loans using holdings in the group’s holding company, or using cash dividends to meet the payment. Those options are viewed as a way to keep any potential selling pressure limited and avoid a structural shock to the secondary market.
SK Hynix drops 8.3% as investors await earnings
SK Hynix shares fell 8.3% on the day the ruling emerged. Still, the report said financial analysts generally attributed the move to a broader correction across global technology and semiconductor stocks rather than to the divorce case alone.
HSBC analysts said rising prices for high-bandwidth memory and the launch of higher-priced HBM4 chips, which are important for artificial intelligence development, should support results at Samsung and SK Hynix and ease investor concern over slower profit growth in the second half.
The report also said the two technology companies plan to sign major supply and investment agreements with U.S. tech giants after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung visits Silicon Valley over the weekend.
SK Hynix is scheduled to report second-quarter results on Wednesday morning, July 29. The market is closely watching whether the company can maintain very high gross margins and what it says about high-end HBM capacity, output, and the supply-demand outlook.