SKT Yoo Young-sang: "We Must Not Miss the AI Golden Time... AI Transformation in New Businesses and Telecommunications"

AI Strategy Unveiled at Town Hall Meeting on 25th
"Time to Consider Ways to Profit from AI"
Infrastructure Advancement and Expansion of Global Cooperation

Yoo Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom, announced on the 25th that he would share the artificial intelligence (AI) business strategy and plans to strengthen competitiveness with employees, aiming to create a global AI company where all members grow together.

Yoo Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom

On the same day, Yoo held a town hall meeting with employees at the headquarters in Euljiro, Seoul, stating, "It is now time to consider how to generate profits from AI," and added, "We will strengthen competitiveness in new AI growth business areas, including AI data centers, and in the long term, complete the AI transformation of the existing telecommunications business model (BM)."

He continued, "To not miss the AI golden time, it is time to rapidly enhance the company's stamina and capabilities," emphasizing, "Fundamental competitiveness improvement (OI, Operation Improvement) is necessary."

Yoo CEO urged, "Let us foster a strong and flexible corporate culture and leap forward as a global AI company where the growth and happiness of all members coexist."

He also stated, "SKT's AI strategy will be pursued in two directions: in the short term, strengthening business models in new growth areas such as AI data centers, AI B2B, and AI B2C, and in the long term, completing the AI transformation of the existing telecommunications business (Telco BM)."

Starting with a recent $200 million investment in Smart Global Holdings (SGH), the plan is to build efficient AI infrastructure including AI computing, software, and immersion cooling, and gradually expand its scale and market through increased cooperation with the global Telco AI alliance.

In the business-to-business (B2B) sector, the company plans to expand its business through a two-track strategy of strengthening synergy within the SK Group in core areas such as AI customer centers, energy solutions, and vision AI, as well as expanding cooperation with global big tech companies.

In the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector, the core functions of A. (A-dot) will be advanced to serve as a personal assistant, and based on this, it will be expanded into various service areas owned by SKT, including MNO, media, communication, and mobility. Through this, the existing telecommunications business will be transformed into an AI BM.

As part of the fundamental competitiveness enhancement plan, Yoo CEO presented three key tasks: ▲ focusing the business portfolio on telecommunications and AI ▲ simultaneously strengthening telecommunications and AI competitiveness ▲ fostering a flexible and strong corporate culture.

Regarding the portfolio, he ordered a review of existing businesses and investments from various perspectives for internal stability and efficiency, and to select and concentrate on a business portfolio centered on telecommunications and AI.

He also urged optimizing business processes by transforming the paradigm of the core telecommunications business, including marketing strategies that enhance customer value and improving service quality.

Yoo CEO emphasized, "Pursuing AI and OI simultaneously means realizing both a 'global AI company' and a 'world-class telecommunications company.' For this, a strong yet flexible corporate culture that pursues the SUPEX (Super Excellent) goal based on the spirit of the SK management system is important."