Chey Tae-won
Chey Tae-won | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 3, 1960 Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Businessman |
| Known for | Chairman of SK Group |
Chey Tae-won (; born December 3, 1960) is a prominent South Korean billionaire entrepreneur and the chairman of SK Group, which stands as the nation's second-largest conglomerate,[1] encompassing 186 affiliated companies such as SK Telecom, SK Hynix, and SK Innovation. Since March 2021, he has also held the position of chairman at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
As of December 2024, Forbes estimated Chey's net worth at approximately US$1 billion, ranking him as the 24th wealthiest individual in South Korea.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Early life
Chey was born in Suwon, located in Gyeonggi Province, and is the eldest son of , who formerly chaired Sunkyung Group (currently known as SK Group). He obtained a bachelor's degree in physics from Korea University and later enrolled in a PhD program in economics at the University of Chicago, which he did not complete.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
His professional journey began at SK Corp. as a manager. Over time, he progressed through various positions, including executive director of SK America and vice president of SK Corp. After his father passed away, Chey was appointed chairman at 38 years old, receiving unanimous support from family leadership as the most qualified successor without any internal contention.
Career
Since 1998, Chey has been at the helm of SK Group as its chairman, overseeing leadership roles within its major subsidiaries. He assumed the chairmanship of SK Innovation in 2011 and SK Hynix in 2012, later taking charge of SK Telecom starting February 2022. Under his guidance, SK Group solidified its status as South Korea’s second-largest corporate conglomerate.
In January 2012, Chey faced indictment on allegations of embezzling over $40 million from SK entities to offset trading losses, charges he has consistently denied. The Seoul District Court convicted him in January 2013, sentencing him to four years in prison. He served his sentence near Seoul until receiving a presidential pardon in August 2015.
Throughout his career, Chey has been honored with numerous distinguished awards and appointments. These include the World Economic Forum’s "Global Leaders for Tomorrow" distinction (1999), co-chairmanship of the East Asia Economic Summit (2002), membership on the Brookings International Advisory Council (2010), and leadership of the G20 Business Summit working group (2010). Additionally, he held the presidency of the Korea Handball Federation twice, in 2008 and again in 2016.
In May 2022, Chey was designated by South Korea’s presidential transition team to lead the civilian committee supporting Busan’s candidacy for hosting the World Expo 2030.
Personal life
Chey was formerly married to Roh Soh-yeong, an art director and daughter of former South Korean president Roh Tae-woo. The couple separated in September 2011, with Chey announcing plans for divorce in December 2015. The Seoul Family Court finalized their divorce in December 2022; Chey retained majority ownership of his shares. As part of their settlement agreement, he was required to pay $1 billion to his ex-wife.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:0