SEOUL, May 26 (Bernama-Yonhap) – US artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI has announced plans to establish its first office in South Korea as part of its ongoing global expansion of AI infrastructure, Yonhap news agency reported.
Chief Strategy Officer of OpenAI, Jason Kwon told reporters in Seoul on Monday that the company has officially set up a Korean unit and will soon launch an office in the capital.
“Our next international office is going to be here in Seoul.
“We are going to open it in the coming months and start hiring a local team to advance our efforts and support local users, customers and partners,” said Kwon.
The Seoul office will be OpenAI’s third in Asia, following offices in Tokyo and Singapore.
The move forms part of OpenAI’s broader global strategy, which has seen it open 11 international offices in major cities including Paris, Brussels, London, Dublin and Tokyo.
OpenAI, the operator of the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, has already formed partnerships with several major South Korean companies, including Kakao Corp, Krafton Inc and mobile carrier SK Telecom Co, in areas such as AI development and data infrastructure.
Kwon said South Korea was selected as a key partner country due to its high level of engagement with OpenAI’s platforms.
“South Korea ranks among the top 10 countries for both ChatGPT users and developers using OpenAI platforms,” he said, adding that the country also has the second-largest number of paid ChatGPT subscribers globally, behind the United States (US).
“Koreans are not just early adopters of ChatGPT -- they are shaping how it is used across the world,” he said. “We are proud to partner with Korean organisations to deploy advanced AI.”
He added that OpenAI aims to work closely with South Korean policymakers, developers and businesses to promote AI innovation that aligns with local needs and priorities.
However, Kwon did not disclose any specific plans for a South Korean data centre.
OpenAI recently announced a major AI computing cluster project to be built in Abu Dhabi.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
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