OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has announced plans to launch operations in South Korea, as part of its global AI infrastructure expansion.
According to Yonhap, Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, announced that OpenAI has set up a South Korean subsidiary and intends to launch its inaugural office in Seoul.
Go deeper with GlobalData
“Our next international office is going to be here in Seoul,” Kwon informed journalists in the city, noting that the Seoul office will mark OpenAI’s third Asian hub, after Tokyo and Singapore.
“We are going to open it in the coming months. We are going to start hiring a local team to advance our efforts and support local users, customers and partners.”
OpenAI’s expansion includes 11 new offices in major cities such as Paris, Brussels, Singapore, London, Dublin, and Tokyo.
Prior to its official entry into the South Korean market, OpenAI collaborated with local companies like Kakao, Krafton, and SK Telecom to advance AI technology and data centre development.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataKwon highlighted that South Korea was chosen as a vital partner nation because of the significant interaction with OpenAI’s services.
The country ranks among the top ten for ChatGPT users and developers on OpenAI platforms, with the second-largest number of paid ChatGPT subscribers after the US.
“Koreans are not just the early adopters of ChatGPT, but they are also shaping how it is used across the world,” he said.
“We are also proud to partner with Korean organisations to deploy advanced AI.”
Through its South Korean office, OpenAI aims to enhance cooperation with the country’s policymakers, businesses, and developers, promoting AI innovation tailored to local needs.
However, details about a potential South Korean data centre remain undisclosed.
OpenAI has recently unveiled intentions to establish a major AI computing hub in Abu Dhabi.
The South Korean office launch follows OpenAI’s acquisition of io, an AI device startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, in an all-stock deal valued at nearly $6.5bn.
The acquisition, the largest in OpenAI’s history, will create a dedicated unit for developing AI-powered devices within the company.
Io, founded by Ive, Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey, and Tang Tan, brings expertise from their work on iconic products like the iPod, MacBook, iPad, and Apple Watch.
