SK Telecom said Tuesday that it has been selected as OpenAI’s exclusive business-to-consumer partner among South Korean telecom companies, coinciding with the US-based artificial intelligence giant’s official foray into the local market.
The announcement came shortly after OpenAI launched its Korea office, signaling a major strategic push into Asia. To mark the occasion, SK Telecom unveiled a promotional offer for ChatGPT Plus, the premium subscription service for the widely used AI chatbot.
ChatGPT Plus offers enhanced functionality compared to the free version, including faster response times, early access to new features, and access to advanced tools such as voice interaction, image generation and deep research capabilities.
As part of the promotion, new subscribers -- or those who have not used ChatGPT Plus in the past three months -- will receive two additional months of service at no cost when purchasing a one-month plan.
An official from SK Telecom noted that the company plans to broaden its collaboration with OpenAI beyond the consumer segment to encompass business-to-business services and potential synergies across the broader SK Group.
This latest partnership builds on previous collaborations. In 2023, the two companies co-hosted a global AI hackathon to foster next-generation talent.
Both are also founding members of the MIT GenAI Impact Consortium, an initiative led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to advance generative AI research and innovation across industries.
SK Telecom has been actively expanding its AI ecosystem through strategic alliances with global tech leaders such as Amazon Web Services, Anthropic and Perplexity AI, aiming to bolster its competitiveness both domestically and internationally.
These early investments have already begun to yield returns. Anthropic -- with which SK Telecom is co-developing a telecom-specific large language model -- has seen its valuation surge more than tenfold since the Korean carrier’s initial investment.
Perplexity AI, an emerging player in the AI-powered search engine space, has also achieved a sixfold increase in valuation.
Through its expanded alliance with OpenAI, SK Telecom said it aims to enhance Korean consumers’ access to cutting-edge AI technologies and contribute to strengthening national competitiveness in the sector.
“We will pursue a dual-track AI strategy that combines global partnerships with in-house innovation,” said Lee Jae-shin, head of AI growth strategy at SK Telecom. “Our goal is to establish a user-centric AI ecosystem.”
The partnership also aligns with SK Telecom’s efforts to build out domestic AI infrastructure. In August, a consortium led by the telecom operator was selected to participate in a government-backed initiative to develop an “AI foundation model.”
The company is developing its GPU-as-a-service platform, Haein, and constructing the SK AI data center in Ulsan as part of the government’s “AI superhighway” strategy.
yeeun@heraldcorp.com
