Chey Tae-won files second Supreme Court appeal in divorce asset split; pays W800m court fee

The Supreme Court has accepted a second appeal filed by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, 65, challenging a retrial ruling on the division of marital assets with Art Center Nabi Director Noh So-young, 65, after Chey's side paid a court filing fee of about 800 million won ($606,000).

The Supreme Court accepted the asset division case on Monday, according to Yonhap. A judicial panel has yet to be assigned.

Chey's legal team filed the second appeal on Aug. 14, contesting a Seoul High Court retrial ruling that ordered him to pay Noh 944 billion won in cash.

However, Chey's side subsequently filed a motion to narrow the scope of the appeal, stating it would not contest 700 billion won of the 944 billion won total and would challenge only the remaining 244 billion won.

"Given how long this dispute has dragged on, we accept up to 700 billion won in a spirit of magnanimity aimed at reducing the conflict and reaching a swift resolution," Chey's legal team said. "We intend to contest the amount beyond that, which we believe is legally problematic."

Analysts had expected the court filing fee alone to run into the tens of billions of won, but the reduction in the contested amount brought it down to about 850 million won.

Chey's side paid the fee, transferring the case to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Noh's side has not yet filed a cross-appeal.

A cross-appeal allows the opposing party to contest portions of a lower court ruling that are unfavorable to them once the other side has filed an appeal. Noh's side may do so until the deadline for Chey's side to submit its statement of grounds for appeal — within 20 days of receiving notice that the case records have been received.