Choi Tae-won·No So-young divorce suit… Controversy over appraisal of KRW 1 trillion stocks and art works

Input 2021.02.02 15:37 | Revision 2021.02.02 16:01

The divorce lawsuit between SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won and Nabi Director Noh So-young Art Center, who are struggling over the division of assets of KRW 1 trillion, resumed after 7 months. In the trial that day, interrogations were conducted on appraisers who hold the key to the division of property. Based on the results of the interrogation, appraisers conduct an appraisal on the property of both sides, and then the next interrogation date is set.

On the 2nd at 2 pm on the 2nd at 2 pm, the second part of the housekeeping division of the Seoul Family Court (Jeon Yeon-sook, Vice-President) held the fourth court newspaper on the divorce lawsuit between President Choi and Director Roh. Both Chairman Choi and Director Roh were absent.

Director Roh is known to have requested that Chairman Choi be liable for 300 million won for alimony and 42.99% of SK shares held by Chairman Choi. When the SK stocks requested by Roh are converted into cash, it amounts to 1.4 trillion won.

There are three appraisers selected by the court. He is an aunt accountant of Samdeok Accounting Firm, Moo Kim of Unification Appraisal Firm, and Momo Kim of Daehwa Appraisal Firm. Accountant Lee appears to be in charge of appraisal of SK stocks held by Chairman Choi.

Accountant Kim Mo of the Unification Appraisal Firm is known as the first art appraiser in Korea. It can be assumed that the subject of the property division included artworks held by Chairman Choi. Daehwa Appraisal Firm is a real estate appraisal company. Chairman Choi’s stocks, real estate, and art are being evaluated for various types of assets.

The trial lasted about an hour. Both the lawyers and appraisers did not answer the reporters’ questions and saved their words. The lawyers on both sides said, “There was a pleasing request from the judge not to communicate the progress of the housework to the outside because it is a principle to be kept private.”

Chairman Choi and Director Roh are fighting a lawsuit with a team of attorneys from all over the world.

Chairman Choi has appointed lawyer Yoo Sun-young of Won Law Firm, Sook-Hyeon Cho, Law Firm Ingu Bae, and Hyun-Suk Kim of Law Firm KHL as legal representatives. In addition to the suit for divorce from Chairman Choi, Won is dealing with a number of chaebol disputes, such as Samsung representing former Chairman Lee Kun-hee in the dispute over Lee Kun-hee and Lee Maeng-hee, and participating in the Hanjin management dispute. Attorney Sun-young Yoo and Sook-Hyun Cho are both experts in the fields of domestic law, inheritance, and succession.

KHL’s attorney Kim Hyun-seok was a former Supreme Court Chief Justice Researcher, while Logos Bae In-gu was a former Chief Justice of the Seoul Central District Court.

On the side of Director Roh, attorney Han Seung and Kihyun Law Firm are participating as litigation agents. Attorney Han Seung was a former chief of the Jeonju District Court and was recognized for his skills to the extent that he was called’No. Kihyun is a law firm founded by a former Kim & Chang law firm that specializes in corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other trillion-level disputes.