SK Group Partners with OpenAI to Advance Global AI Infrastructure

• SK Chairman Chey Tae-won and Open AI CEO Sam Altman meet in Seoul to 
  advance AI technology
• SK hynix to participate as supplier for HBM products in OpenAI’s Stargate 
  project with demand up to 900,000 DRAM wafers per month
• SK Telecom to collaborate with OpenAI on development, construction and 
  operation of AI Center in South Korea
• Supports SK’s commitment to portfolio innovation, strengthens South Korea-U.S. 
  AI Economic Alliance through global ‘Big Tech’ partnerships

Seoul, October 1, 2025 -- SK Group announced today that SK Chairman Chey Tae-won and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met at SK headquarters in Seoul to sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop an AI Data Center in South Korea as part of the Stargate project.

Chairman Chey Tae-won stated, “We are honored to participate as a core partner in the Stargate project, aimed at building future global AI infrastructure. By leveraging SK’s integrated AI infrastructure capabilities from memory semiconductors to data centers, we will actively contribute to global AI infrastructure innovation and strengthening Korea’s AI competitiveness at a national level.”

SK hynix signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with OpenAI to supply High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), for the construction of global AI data centers under the Stargate project. The signing of the LOI reflects recognition of SK hynix’s technological leadership and supply capability in AI-optimized semiconductor memory, as the company ranked No.1 worldwide in DRAM revenue in the first half of this year. SK hynix will establish a production system capable of promptly meeting OpenAI’s HBM demand for up to 900,000 DRAM wafers per month. It is more than double the current HBM industry capacity, underscoring the immense semiconductor demand driven by the Stargate project.

Through this partnership, SK hynix will actively support OpenAI’s GPU procurement strategy, while the two companies agreed to further expand their collaboration. Specific supply volumes and arrangements will be determined through further discussions as the project moves forward.

SK Telecom signed an MOU with OpenAI to collaborate on building the AI Data Center in the southwest region of Korea as part of ‘Stargate Korea.’ Leveraging its solid experience in data center construction and operation, SK Telecom and OpenAI will jointly develop next-generation computing and data center solutions. They will also explore various AI service use cases for consumers and enterprises. 

This government-backed collaboration signifies SK Group’s strategic alliance with OpenAI, and is expected to contribute positively to the development of Korea’s AI ecosystem by combining SK’s accumulated technology and infrastructure with the synergy of global cooperation. SK’s involvement in the Stargate project is anticipated to solidify the AI economic alliance between South Korea and the United States. Korea’s strengths in manufacturing and telecommunications complement the U.S.’s leadership in AI technology, forming a mutually beneficial and globally influential partnership.

Since 2023, Chairman Chey and CEO Altman have built a mutual trust through multiple meetings, sharing consensus on future directions in semiconductors, data centers and other fields. They have discussed the development of dedicated semiconductors and infrastructure to cope with the global surge in AI training and inference workloads. They have discussed innovative joint development of next-generation AI infrastructure, including new memory-computing architectures to overcome hardware bottlenecks for AI models.

“Korea has the vision, technology, talent and infrastructure to lead globally in AI,” OpenAI CEO Altman said. “We’re proud to partner with SK hynix as part of our Stargate initiative, supporting Korea’s leadership in AI and contributing to its continued success.”

“This partnership marks the official beginning of comprehensive technological innovation cooperation spanning from chip development to data center construction and operation,” SK Chairman Chey Tae-won added. “We are confident this collaboration will set a new paradigm in the global AI landscape and significantly advance the AI industry’s future.”

Meanwhile, SK Group is advancing its portfolio by positioning AI as a key growth driver and strengthening alliances with global technology leaders. In August, the company held the groundbreaking ceremony for the SK Ulsan AI Data Center, reinforcing collaboration with global partners and reaffirming its commitment to AI innovation.

About SK

SK Group, South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate, is a global technology leader delivering innovations to build the backbone for a new era of industry. Based in Seoul, SK has 198 companies and over 100,000 employees worldwide with a focus on developing and producing advanced solutions in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, energy and life sciences. SK businesses have a shared commitment to create economic value while having a positive impact on society. For more on SK, visit sk.com.