OpenAI to establish Korean subsidiary: CSO

OpenAI to establish Korean subsidiary: CSO

최초입력 2025.05.27 11:05:44

Jason Kwon, CSO of OpenAI. (Jeong Ho-jun)

OpenAI Inc., the U.S.-based developer of ChatGPT, announced on Monday that it will establish a South Korean subsidiary.
“Korea is one of the most active countries in the world in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption,” OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon said. “We plan to open a branch office in Seoul within a few months.”
Kwon’s remarks were made during a media roundtable in Seoul on Monday.
The Korean branch will be OpenAI’s 12th globally and its third in Asia. The company currently operates offices in 11 cities around the world, including London and Paris. In Asia, it has branches in Tokyo and Singapore.
The purpose of the new office is to formally begin operations in Korea and seek collaborations with various local partners.
While the specific office location is yet to be decided, OpenAI plans to start hiring staff to engage with key stakeholders, including businesses and government entities.
“Korea has an AI ecosystem that spans semiconductors, software, and startups, and it is also a global AI leader where people of all generations, from students to the elderly, actively use AI in their daily lives,” Kwon said.
He added that there are many companies in Korea lead the global market in sectors where OpenAI is seeking collaboration, such as healthcare, biotech, robotics, manufacturing, and finance.
OpenAI launched a large-scale data center initiative, Project Stargate, earlier in 2025 for which it is partnering with SoftBank, Oracle, and others.
OpenAI introduced the OpenAI for Countries initiative to expand Stargate globally in May 2025. The approach involves building data centers in cooperation with local governments and businesses, then integrating OpenAI’s software to provide localized versions of ChatGPT tailored to each region.
The company signed its first overseas infrastructure partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the previous week.
“To achieve Korea’s goal of becoming a global AI leader by 2027, infrastructure investment is essential,” Kwon said.
He expressed interest in adopting a similar model to the UAE partnership in Korea. This would involve building a data center via a collaboration with the Korean government and semiconductor/cloud companies based on local investment.
OpenAI would then support local companies and startups in developing Korea-specific, customized AI models. However, it has not disclosed concrete plans for establishing a data center in Korea for now.
Regarding the company’s participation in Korea’s national AI computing center project, Kwon noted that “the possibility is open.”
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OpenAI to establish Korean subsidiary: CSO

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