'Divorce of the Century' to the Supreme Court... Art Center Nabi Eviction Lawsuit to Be Decided Today

Choi Tae-won Appeals 1.3808 Trillion Won Asset Division... Appeal on 20th
Art Center Nabi SK Building Eviction Lawsuit Decision on 21st

The final ruling on the divorce lawsuit between Choi Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, and Noh So-young, director of Art Center Nabi, has been transferred to the Supreme Court. The result of the eviction lawsuit filed by SK Innovation against Director Noh regarding Art Center Nabi has also been announced, drawing attention to how it might affect the divorce case.

According to the legal community on the 21st, Chairman Choi submitted a notice of appeal to the Family Division 2 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Kim Si-cheol, Kim Ok-gon, Lee Dong-hyun) the day before. Earlier, Chairman Choi's side had expressed their intention to appeal on the 30th of last month, when the appellate court ruling was issued.

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK Group and Director Noh So-young of Art Center Nabi.
Photo by Yonhap News

Chairman Choi's side argued on the 17th that there was a critical error in the appellate court's calculation of Chairman Choi's contribution to the increase in SK's stock value. Lee Dong-geun, a lawyer from the law firm Hwawoo representing Chairman Choi, stated, "The appellate court made an error in valuing the shares of Daehan Telecom, which Chairman Choi acquired in 1994."

Considering that Daehan Telecom (now SK C&C), the foundation of SK Corporation, underwent two stock splits, the value of Daehan Telecom shares in 1998 should have been calculated at 1,000 won per share, but the court calculated it as 100 won per share.

In response, Director Noh's side rebutted, "It cannot be denied that the value of SK shares has still achieved a tremendous increase, and this does not affect the conclusion," adding, "This is an attempt to exaggerate a part and obstruct the judiciary's judgment."

The appellate court also issued an explanatory statement saying that although it corrected the errors pointed out by Chairman Choi's side, it does not affect the decision on the alimony of 2 billion won and the property division of 1.3808 trillion won. It is quite unusual for the court to issue an explanatory statement regarding a judgment correction.

In the future, the Supreme Court is expected to first determine whether there is any problem with the appellate court's amended judgment.

SK Group headquarters, SK Seorin Building, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Meanwhile, the result of the lawsuit filed by SK Innovation demanding Director Noh to vacate the SK Seorin Building will be announced on the same day. SK Innovation, which manages the Seorin Building, filed a lawsuit in April last year demanding eviction, claiming that Art Center Nabi has been occupying the building without permission despite the lease contract ending in September 2019, causing significant business losses.

The property subject to the eviction demand is the 4th floor of the SK Group headquarters Seorin Building, where Art Center Nabi is located. The case was referred to mediation, and two mediation sessions were held in November last year, but no agreement was reached.

In the hearing on the 31st of last month, Director Noh's side urged the withdrawal of the lawsuit, stating, "The appellate court in the divorce ruling between Chairman Choi and Director Noh mentioned this case," and "We expect SK Innovation to review the intent and take appropriate measures."

The appellate court in the divorce case pointed out, "Chairman Choi appears to be jeopardizing the social status of Director Noh as the director of Art Center Nabi despite the marital relationship not being completely dissolved." If Director Noh is recognized as a special related party of Chairman Choi, it could be considered an abuse of the landlord's rights, potentially strengthening Director Noh's position.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.