Seoul: U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI on Monday announced it will begin operations in South Korea as part of its ongoing global expansion of AI infrastructure. Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer at OpenAI, stated that the company has established a Korean unit and plans to open its first Korean office in Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kwon mentioned that Seoul will host OpenAI's next international office, marking the company's third Asian branch following its presence in Tokyo and Singapore. He emphasized that the Seoul office is set to open in the coming months, with plans to hire a local team to advance efforts and support local users, customers, and partners.
This move aligns with OpenAI's global expansion strategy, as the operator of the AI chatbot ChatGPT has recently launched 11 new offices in major cities such as Paris, Brussels, Singapore, London, Dublin, and Tokyo. Prior to officially entering the South Korean market, OpenAI has already established partnerships with prominent Korean companies, including internet giant Kakao Corp., gamemaker Krafton Inc., and leading mobile carrier SK Telecom Co., to collaborate on AI technology and data center development.
Kwon highlighted the significance of South Korea as a key partner country, attributing this to the high level of engagement with OpenAI's services. South Korea is ranked among the top 10 countries for both ChatGPT users and developers using OpenAI platforms and holds the second-largest number of paid ChatGPT subscribers, following the United States.
"Koreans are not just the early adopters of ChatGPT, but they are also shaping how it is used across the world," Kwon said, adding that OpenAI is proud to partner with Korean organizations to deploy advanced AI.
Through its Korean office, OpenAI aims to enhance cooperation with Korean policymakers, businesses, and developers to promote AI innovation tailored to local needs. However, Kwon did not provide specifics regarding plans for a Korean data center, noting that OpenAI recently announced plans to build a massive AI computing cluster in Abu Dhabi.