Kim Young-seop, KT CEO: "Telecom Companies Must Regain Leadership Lost to Big Tech" (Comprehensive)

'Mobile360 Asia Pacific' Conference Held
Vice Minister Park Yoon-kyu "Proving Pre-6G Capabilities by 2026"
Samsung Electronics President Kim Woo-jun "SW Network Innovation"

"In the fields of smart cities, metaverse, digital healthcare, and energy, it is necessary for telecommunications companies to secure leadership."

Kim Young-seop, CEO of KT, announced the vision of "Digital Innovation Partner" at the ‘Mobile360 Asia Pacific (M360 APAC)’ conference held on the 7th at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Kim Young-seop, CEO of KT, is giving a speech at the 'Mobile360 Asia Pacific Conference' held on the 7th at the Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

This event marked the first official public appearance of CEO Kim since his inauguration on the 30th of last month. On this day, he unveiled his future management strategy under the theme of "Telecommunications-led Digital Paradigm Shift." He emphasized that telecommunications companies must reclaim leadership of the digital ecosystem, which has been taken over by global major information technology companies (big tech), and stated that they will secure digital competitiveness through 6G and new information and communication technologies (ICT).

CEO Kim said, "While telecommunications companies have been satisfied with building networks and earning profits by providing exclusive telecommunications services on top of them, big tech companies have become the owners of the digital ecosystem by offering innovative services such as messengers, over-the-top (OTT) online video services, autonomous driving, and internet finance on the infrastructure built by telecoms." He added, "Telecommunications companies must also change. If internal innovation fails, change will be forced from outside." He further stated, "It is necessary to accumulate equal capabilities in areas led by big tech and secure leadership in areas that are still in the early stages, such as smart cities, metaverse, digital healthcare, and energy." He identified cloud, AI customer centers, security, metaverse, and mobility as KT’s core business areas.

He emphasized that a shift in perspective is necessary to secure leadership in the future digital paradigm shift. Instead of the existing 'infrastructure first' approach that starts with preparing telecommunications networks, a 'digital service first' approach that prioritizes customer experience is required. CEO Kim said, "Such efforts will determine not only the growth of companies but also the digital competitiveness of the nation." He added, "I am confident that proactively presenting digital services that enhance the value of human life based on openness and cooperation will become the raison d'?tre of future telecommunications companies."

Mats Granryd, Director General of GSMA, is delivering the keynote speech at the 'Mobile 360 Asia Pacific Conference' held on the 7th at the Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Additionally, global ICT leaders such as Mats Granryd, Secretary-General of GSMA; Park Yoon-kyu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT; Kim Woo-jun, President of Samsung Electronics’ Network Business Division; and Yang Jie, Chairman of China Mobile, delivered keynote speeches.

Vice Minister Park introduced government strategies including K-Network 2030, the digital new order, and the digital bill of rights. He said, "We will create related ecosystems through research on next-generation networks such as 6G, satellite communications, and quantum communications," and added, "Ultimately, I hope Korea can demonstrate pre-6G capabilities by 2026."

He also stated, "Through the national digital strategy, we will secure world-class capabilities in AI, data, cloud, and network fields," and "Applying these to each sector will accelerate the transition to a digital economy." He introduced the digital bill of rights, which encompasses values necessary for a digital society such as freedom, human rights, innovation, fairness, inclusion, and trust.

President Kim Woo-jun delivered a speech on "Evolution and Innovation of Next-Generation Networks," emphasizing that "software-based networks will be game changers." He said, "5G will become a universal platform, not just a network," and "the telecommunications network will be the platform that determines the future." President Kim explained, "5G connects all people and things. Just as wireless networks were needed when moving from wired to wireless phones, various types of networks are needed in 5G," adding, "The challenge is to build on-demand networks as needed. Samsung Networks believes software is the most fundamental."

He added, "Samsung Electronics Networks has succeeded in building the largest software-based network in North America and is constructing purely software-centric networks in Europe," and "Based on 40 years of accumulated hardware network experience, we provide reliable and stable operations. We focus on research and development (R&D) and are a global leader in software-based networks that does not settle for the present."

Secretary-General Granryd said, "Web 3.0 and AI have become global topics, but connectivity is at the center," and "Through a future-oriented major transformation into a tech telecommunications company, telecom platforms must be able to connect people and things." Chairman Yang Jie said that a better future must be created through cooperation and that an industrial ecosystem for technological innovation, service convergence, and mutual exchange must be established.

M360 is an event that discusses the ICT industry agenda by selecting regional topics from Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia regarding mobile industry issues. It has been held annually by GSMA since 2013, and this is the first time it is held in Korea. Under the theme "Lead the Digital-First Future," major global ICT companies, governments, regulatory agencies, and academia gather to discuss the future of the digital era, including digital transformation (DX), artificial intelligence (AI), 6G, and fintech.