OpenAI is considering building a data center in South Korea while expanding partnerships with major Korean conglomerates like Samsung and SK, according to remarks made during the launch of its Seoul office. The move aligns with South Korea’s push for AI sovereignty and positions OpenAI to tap into the country’s advanced semiconductor ecosystem as it prepares to manufacture its own AI chips.
What you should know: OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon confirmed the company’s openness to Korean infrastructure investments during a September 10 press conference.
- “When it comes to the hardware chip side, I think we have a lot of good partnerships in motion with companies like SK and Samsung,” Kwon said, referencing discussions with Samsung Electronics’ executive chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group’s chairman Chey Tae-won.
- The Seoul office represents OpenAI’s third Asian location, though specific details on scale, timing, or leadership remain undisclosed.
- Kwon noted that leadership announcements are expected “very soon.”
Strategic partnerships expanding: OpenAI has already established collaborations across multiple Korean industries, from electronics to finance.
- In February, the company partnered with Kakao, a major Korean online services company, to integrate ChatGPT into the messaging platform.
- This week, OpenAI will sign a memorandum of understanding with Seoul National University for joint AI research.
- The company is hosting government, academic, and industry leaders to mark the Korean office opening.
The bigger infrastructure picture: OpenAI’s Korean interest comes as the company prepares large-scale production of its own AI chips in partnership with Broadcom, a U.S. semiconductor company, aiming to reduce reliance on Nvidia hardware.
- The chips are expected to be used internally rather than sold externally, according to Financial Times reporting.
- In the U.S., OpenAI is collaborating with SoftBank and Oracle on the massive Stargate initiative, which aims to deliver 4.5 gigawatts of capacity across American data centers.
- The $500 billion Stargate project includes $100 billion earmarked for early phases and represents potentially the largest AI infrastructure buildout to date.
Why this matters: South Korea’s advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and government backing for AI sovereignty make it an attractive location for OpenAI’s international expansion.
- The timing coincides with OpenAI’s “OpenAI for Countries” initiative, offering formalized infrastructure partnerships with national governments.
- Korean partnerships could provide crucial hardware supply chain advantages as OpenAI scales its chip manufacturing ambitions beyond U.S. borders.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...