OpenAI chief visits South Korea for talks with Samsung and SK executives
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spent the weekend in South Korea, meeting roughly 50 Samsung executives across its electronics, finance and biotech units in Yongin. He also had a lunch meeting with SK Group chairman Chey Tae‑won, attended by senior leaders from SK Hynix and SK Telecom. While SK Hynix declined to confirm the lunch, the visit follows Altman's October 2025 trip where he announced partnerships under the Stargate initiative, aimed at expanding AI infrastructure through memory chip supply and data‑center projects in the country.
Key facts
- Altman's visit includes a meeting with roughly 50 Samsung executives in Yongin.
- Lunch with SK Group chairman Chey Tae‑won involved SK Hynix and SK Telecom leaders.
- SK Hynix did not confirm the lunch meeting.
- Previous October 2025 meeting announced Stargate partnerships with President Lee Jae Myung, Samsung’s Jay Y. Lee and Chey Tae‑won.
- Stargate aims to secure advanced memory chip supply and build AI data centers in South Korea.
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Why it matters
The talks could shape South Korea’s role in global AI hardware and data‑center ecosystems.
What changed
First published from CNBC