OpenAI has announced the establishment of its first office in Seoul, marking a significant step in its global expansion strategy. The move comes as South Korea emerges as one of the most active markets for the company’s flagship product, ChatGPT. According to OpenAI, South Korea ranks second only to the United States in terms of paid ChatGPT subscriptions. This growing user base has prompted the company to formalize its presence in the country by registering a local entity and initiating recruitment efforts.
The company’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jason Kwon, highlighted South Korea’s robust AI ecosystem as a key factor in the decision. “Korea’s full stack AI capabilities from hardware to software, and across all age groups make it a uniquely promising environment for impactful AI development,” Kwon stated.
OpenAI is also deepening its ties with local industry players. Earlier this year, it announced a collaboration with Kakao, a major South Korean tech firm, to codevelop AI solutions tailored to the Korean market. Kwon is currently in Seoul and is expected to meet with representatives from both the ruling People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party, signaling OpenAI’s intent to engage with policymakers as it scales its operations in the region.