SK Hosts “Future Tech Forum: AI” Session at APEC CEO Summit

• Forum brings together global AI leaders to discuss emerging technologies and policy directions
• Chairman Chey Tae-won highlights technological self-reliance and trust-based cooperation as the basis for AI progress
• SK showcases comprehensive AI data center capabilities—from semiconductors to cooling, operations, and cybersecurity—at the K-Tech Showcase

GYEONGJU, South Korea, Oct. 28 – SK hosted the “Future Tech Forum: AI” as part of the 2025 APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, bringing together global leaders and experts from government, industry, and academia to discuss strategies for building sustainable artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems across the Asia-Pacific region.

Held under the theme “Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of AI: National Strategies for Building Sustainable AI Ecosystems,” the forum featured delegates from key APEC economies, including the United States, Singapore, and Peru, and served as a major platform for sharing insights on global AI policy and innovation.

Among the speakers and panelists were: SK Chairman Chey Tae-won; Ha Jung-woo, Senior Presidential Secretary for AI and Future Planning; Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS); Choi Soo Yeon, CEO of NAVER; Kyunghoon Kim, General Manager of OpenAI Korea; Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom; and Simon Milner, Vice President at Meta. Distinguished AI experts including Yejin Choi, Professor at Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), and Nitin Mittal, Global AI Leader at Deloitte LLP, also joined the discussions.

SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, in his welcoming remarks titled “Building an AI Ecosystem,” said that “AI has become inseparable from both business and national strategy, even influencing trade and tariff policies,” and noted that AI has emerged as a key growth engine and strategic asset for national security. Chey referred to OpenAI’s ChatGPT as an “AI shock” and highlighted how global powers are engaging in a strategic race to build AI infrastructure and expand their technologies worldwide.

Chey predicted that the gap between individuals, companies, and countries will widen depending on how actively they engage in AI. Noting that each nation is taking a different approach to AI development, he highlighted Korea’s experience with public-private collaboration in AI computing infrastructure and homegrown foundation models, emphasizing the importance of balancing technological independence with trust-based global partnerships. As examples, he cited SK’s collaboration with AWS to build the SK AI Data Center in Ulsan and its “Stargate” partnership with OpenAI.

Referring to the bottlenecks in semiconductor and energy supply that he had pointed out last year as key constraints on AI development, Chey said, “Korea cannot resolve these issues alone but can serve as a testbed for rapid adaptation and innovation.” Leveraging such agility, he added that Korea will become one of the fastest nations to expand and evolve AI applications, ultimately contributing to global AI advancement.

Participants agreed that building AI ecosystems suited to each country’s strengths is essential for AI to take root in everyday life. Ha Jung-woo, Senior Presidential Secretary for AI and Future Planning, introduced the government’s “AI Top-3 Strategy” to strengthen Korea’s position as a global AI powerhouse, pledging support for specialized high-quality data and talent development. He also echoed Chey’s focus on independence and cooperation as essential to sustained progress.

In panel discussions, AWS’s Matt Garman and Deloitte’s Nitin Mittal explored AI’s role in regional innovation and balanced development, while NAVER’s Choi Soo Yeon, OpenAI Korea’s Kim Kyunghoon, and Meta’s Simon Milner shared real-world use cases of AI innovation. SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang joined a roundtable with Ha, Kim, Choi, and Mittal on AI ethics, national strategies, and inclusive growth within the APEC community.

Alongside the forum, SK showcased its AI Data Center Solutions at the “K-Tech Showcase,” displaying capabilities across memory semiconductors, cooling, operations, and cybersecurity from affiliates such as SK Telecom, SK hynix, SKC, and SK Enmove. The group is building a 100-megawatt hyperscale AI data center in Ulsan with AWS, targeted for completion by 2027, and recently announced plans with OpenAI to develop another facility in Korea’s southwest region – reinforcing the nation’s emergence as an Asia-Pacific AI hub.

SK is also scheduled to host the SK AI Summit on November 3–4 at COEX in Seoul, where it will present its vision for a value-driven AI ecosystem built on the principles of self-reliance and collaboration.

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.