"Within one year of establishing the Korean office, the number of ChatGPT Enterprise users has increased 28-fold."
Kim Kyung-hoon, Head of OpenAI Korea, held a 'One-Year Anniversary Press Conference for the Official Launch of the Korea Office' on the 9th at Seoul Gangnam-gu Joseon Palace. He stated, "Although some companies had already adopted ChatGPT Enterprise through our headquarters prior to this, the number of adopting companies surged after the establishment of the Korean office."
OpenAI cited Samsung Electronics and Seoul National University as representative cases. Kim (CEO) explained, "Samsung Electronics is a global success story that has adopted ChatGPT Enterprise for use by all its employees," adding, "We are also collaborating with Samsung Electronics on next-generation chip production research and the Stargate project." He further noted OpenAI's contribution to Korea's AI transformation (AX). Kim (CEO) stated, "On September 10 last year, during the opening ceremony of our Korean office, we announced our goal to jointly advance Korea's AI transformation. We have since achieved expected results by participating in public AI projects and conveying Korean feedback to headquarters."
Analysis also indicates a shift in AI usage from chatbots to agent-based AI. In August, the weekly active user count (WAU) for AI agents such as ChatGPT Workspace and Codex in Korea increased 14-fold compared to March. Additionally, 64% of total token output volume under the GPT-5.6 model in August was generated through these two services. Kim (CEO) highlighted frontier AI model performance as a core strength. Kim (CEO) said, "The Astra model was developed with a focus on its ability to complete tasks from start to finish," adding, "Its key feature lies in continuously thinking about goals and remembering prior work to produce high-quality results."
Future strategies include advertising, cybersecurity, and data centers. OpenAI introduced advertising services in Korea on June 19. Currently, ads are displayed to select free and low-tier (GO) plan users. Globally, the ad service achieved annualized revenue of $1 billion (approximately 1.34 trillion won) within just 200 days of launch. The key weapon is its massive user base: ChatGPT's global weekly active users exceed one billion. As of August 25 this year, domestic WAU also rose by 35% compared to the same period last year. Kim (CEO) remarked, "This is a speed unlike any seen on other advertising platforms," and added, "We will approach advertising in a balanced manner that protects personal information while satisfying advertisers."
OpenAI is also investing heavily in cybersecurity. Through partner companies, OpenAI plans to expand the adoption, implementation, operation, and scaling of AI for enterprises. In particular, it will expand 'Daybreak,' an advanced cybersecurity AI program provided to security experts and corporations. OpenAI intends to establish new Daybreak partners and select at least five companies. Samsung SDS took the lead in this initiative. On the 8th, Samsung SDS announced its participation as a pilot partner for Daybreak. Kim (CEO) stated, "Not only Samsung SDS but also other Samsung affiliates will use OpenAI's cybersecurity models," adding, "We are working to rapidly provide the latest models to the Korean government through collaborations such as with KISA (Korea Internet & Security Agency)."
OpenAI is also preparing to build data centers in Korea. This effort aims to support 'Inference Residency,' where model inference occurs within Korea. Currently, OpenAI supports 'Data Residency'—storing content in Korea—for select users of ChatGPT Enterprise, Education, and API (Application Programming Interface), but does not yet offer Inference Residency. Kim (CEO) explained, "Preparing for Inference Residency, including securing GPU supply, will take time."
in TECH
