OpenAI CEO Strengthens Ties with South Korea's Tech Ecosystem

Seoul, October 2, 2025 - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman made a significant visit to South Korea this week, meeting with government officials and industry leaders to strengthen artificial intelligence collaboration. The high-profile trip underscores South Korea's emerging role as a key market for AI innovation.

Presidential Meeting Highlights National AI Ambitions

Altman met with President Yoon Suk-yeol at the presidential palace in central Seoul on Wednesday evening. The discussion focused on South Korea's investment policies aimed at positioning the country as a leader in AI technology development. President Yoon's office emphasized that boosting domestic AI capabilities is crucial for maintaining competitiveness in global tech markets.

"This meeting represents our commitment to fostering strategic partnerships that will drive innovation," stated a presidential spokesperson. "South Korea recognizes AI as foundational to our future economic growth."

Strong Market Adoption Drives OpenAI Expansion

The visit comes amid remarkable adoption of OpenAI services in South Korea. Company data reveals the country has become:

• Second-largest market globally for ChatGPT Plus subscribers
• One of fastest-growing regions for enterprise API usage

The strong market response prompted OpenAI to establish its first Seoul office earlier this year, appointing former Google executive Kyoung Hoon Kim as country manager.

Semiconductor Giants Critical to AI Infrastructure

Altman's itinerary included meetings with leadership from:

• Samsung Electronics
• SK Hynix

The discussions centered on securing advanced memory chips essential for powering AI data centers worldwide. Both Korean firms dominate production of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips crucial for training large language models.

"Our partnership with these semiconductor leaders ensures we can meet growing computational demands," an OpenAI representative commented.

Kakao Partnership Targets Localized AI Solutions

In a strategic move, OpenAI announced a collaboration with Kakao, operator of South Korea's dominant messaging platform. The partnership will develop:

1. Korean-language optimized AI models
2. Enterprise solutions tailored for local businesses
3. Consumer-facing applications integrated with Kakao services

The initiative marks OpenAI's first major localization effort in Asia beyond Japan.

Key Points:

• 🏛️ High-level discussions between Altman and President Yoon signal political support for AI development
• 💻 South Korea ranks #2 globally in ChatGPT Plus subscriptions
• 🔌 Meetings with Samsung/SK Hynix address critical semiconductor supply chains
• 🤝 Kakao partnership represents first major Asian localization effort
• 🏢 OpenAI established Seoul office earlier this year amid rapid market growth