Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, and Noh So-young, Director of Art Center Nabi, faced each other in court for the first time in two years and two months. This meeting comes as they enter mediation for the division of assets valued at approximately 1.38 trillion won, the largest in South Korean divorce history.
The Seoul High Court's Family Division, led by Judge Lee Sang-joo, held the second mediation session on June 15.
Noh arrived at the court at 1:39 PM and did not respond to reporters' questions about the possibility of a settlement, her stance on the Supreme Court's rejection of former President Roh Tae-woo's slush fund contributions, or her feelings about facing Choi in court after such a long time.
Choi appeared about eight minutes later at 1:47 PM. When asked how he felt about meeting Noh in court after two years, he said, "I hope the mediation goes well and concludes quickly." He did not comment on whether their positions had narrowed since the first mediation session.
This is the first time the couple has met in court since the final arguments of their divorce appeal in April 2024. Noh attended the first mediation session last month alone.
The current mediation session is expected to focus on the scale and method of asset division, as well as the reference point for determining the division. A key issue is whether Choi's shares in SK Holdings will be included in the division.
Choi's side argues that these shares are considered separate property acquired through inheritance and gifts, thus not subject to division. In contrast, Noh's side contends that her long-term contributions to household management and child-rearing should qualify the assets as marital property.
There is also expected to be debate over the reference point for asset division, whether it should be the conclusion of the appeal in April 2024 or the current mediation proceedings. This could significantly affect the asset valuation, especially with recent increases in SK's stock price, making both sides attentive to the reference point.
The couple married in 1988 during the first year of Roh Tae-woo's presidency and have three children together. Their marriage drew significant public interest as it united the daughter of a president with a member of a prominent business family.
However, their relationship deteriorated after Choi revealed in 2015 that he had an extramarital child with Kim Hee-young, chairwoman of the TNC Foundation. Following this revelation, Choi filed for divorce mediation in 2017, and after it failed, he initiated divorce proceedings the following year. Noh also filed a counterclaim for asset division, intensifying their legal battle.
In the first trial, the court ordered Choi to pay Noh 100 million won in alimony and 665 billion won in asset division. However, the appellate court recognized Noh's contributions and ruled that Choi should pay 2 billion won in alimony and 1.38 trillion won in asset division.
The Supreme Court, led by Justice Seo Kyung-hwan, found that the appellate court had misinterpreted the law regarding the 30 billion won slush fund's contribution to SK's growth and sent the asset division ruling back for reconsideration. However, the 2 billion won alimony payment was upheld.
Legal experts identify the main issues in the reconsideration as whether Choi's SK shares should be included in the asset division and the extent of Noh's contributions. With significant differences remaining between the two sides, it remains to be seen if a consensus can be reached in this mediation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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