Choi Tae-won's Second Daughter's Unique Wedding Ceremony... "We Will Begin with a Moment of Silence"

Minjung, the second daughter of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, married an American Marine Corps officer in an international wedding.

According to business circles on the 13th, at 1 p.m. that day, Minjung, Chairman Chey’s second daughter, tied the knot with Kevin Hwang at the Vista Hall of the Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. The groom and bride entered the venue in order, and it was reported that Minjung entered the venue alone without holding her father Chairman Chey’s hand. There was no officiant, and friends of the bride and groom jointly hosted the ceremony, conducting it in Korean and English respectively.

Minjung, the second daughter of SK Chairman Chey Tae-won (right), and her groom Kevin Hwang. [Image source=Wedding site Zola]

According to attendees, the wedding included a moment of remembrance for Korean-American comrades. Before the ceremony, a moment of silence was held for the Korean-American comrades, and behind the guest seats, a vacant table was set up according to American tradition. On the table were memorial items such as roses symbolizing the blood of the fallen. This space, called the "Missing Man Table," carries the meaning of honoring soldiers who are missing or fallen in battle.

The reason the ceremony was conducted differently from a typical wedding was influenced by the shared military experience of Minjung and Hwang. The two first met as neighbors in the Dupont Circle area of Washington D.C., and quickly grew close through their common military backgrounds, eventually becoming a married couple.

Minjung attracted attention in 2014 by voluntarily enlisting as a naval officer candidate, an unusual move for a daughter of a chaebol family. In 2015, she was deployed to the Gulf of Aden as part of the Cheonghae Unit, and in 2016, she served at the Navy 2nd Fleet Command guarding the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea’s frontline. Hwang also graduated with an MBA from Harvard University and Stanford University, served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, and from October 2020 served about nine months as a U.S. Forces Korea soldier. Next month, he is scheduled to return to active duty and take a logistics-related position in a U.S. special forces unit.

In December 2015, Choi Min-jung attended the homecoming welcome ceremony held at the Navy Operations Command Busan Base on the 23rd after safely completing the dispatch mission to the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, as part of the 19th Cheonghae Unit (Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin ship).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chairman Chey and Noh So-young, director of the Art Center Nabi, met for the first time since becoming "strangers" following the appellate court ruling on their divorce lawsuit in May. Contrary to expectations of an awkward atmosphere, the two greeted guests with bright expressions in front of the venue and expressed their gratitude. During the wedding, Chairman Chey and Director Noh sat together in the bride’s parental seats and watched their daughter’s wedding. It was also reported that they took photos with the bride and groom.

The wedding, held under tight security, was a private event attended by about 500 guests, including major business leaders such as Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, relatives of the SK family, and CEOs of SK Group affiliates.

The newlyweds are known to be setting up their new home in the United States.

A sign reading "No entry except wedding guests" has been installed near the wedding venue of Minjeong, the second daughter of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and Kevin Hwang, a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve officer.
[Image source=Yonhap News]