.png){kind=logo}
Since the start of 2024, South Korea has rapidly cemented its global reputation as a key market for artificial intelligence, attracting major international technology firms such as OpenAI. Burghley Capital today reports OpenAI’s formal announcement of its South Korean subsidiary and the forthcoming opening of an office in Seoul, highlighting the country’s growing significance as the world’s second-largest market for paid ChatGPT subscriptions, surpassed only by the United States.
The launch of OpenAI’s Seoul office demonstrates South Korea’s pivotal role within the global AI sector. Over the preceding 12-month period, weekly active ChatGPT users in the country increased more than 4.5-fold, placing South Korea firmly within the top ten global markets by user engagement. OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jason Kwon, identifies South Korea’s sophisticated technology infrastructure and vibrant innovation culture as critical factors in this rapid adoption, noting that “South Korea presents one of the most promising markets for meaningful AI impact, combining exceptional talent with technological sophistication.”
The Seoul location will mark OpenAI’s third major Asian presence, following offices in Tokyo and Singapore, and forms a key part of the company’s global ‘OpenAI for Countries’ initiative, which aims to strengthen international AI infrastructure. In conjunction with its physical expansion, OpenAI is actively deepening collaborative relationships with leading South Korean technology firms, including Kakao, SK Telecom, and Krafton, to enhance integration within the local technology ecosystem.
South Korea’s adoption of ChatGPT has reached significant milestones. As of April 2025, monthly active users totalled 10.72 million, making ChatGPT the first AI application to surpass 10 million users in the South Korean mobile market. Concurrently, total monthly user engagement nearly tripled, rising from 8.08 million hours to 23.7 million hours, whilst new installations of the application increased nearly fourfold, underscoring widespread adoption across various user segments.
The country also ranks prominently in enterprise and developer use of OpenAI technology, securing a position among the global top five markets for paid enterprise users and within the top ten markets globally for developers utilising the OpenAI API. Kwon attributes this robust professional engagement to the country’s advanced semiconductor capabilities, software innovation, and government support, affirming that “Korea is clearly one of the world’s leading AI adopters.”
OpenAI’s ongoing strategic alliances within South Korea further illustrate its commitment to the market. Recent collaborative initiatives with Kakao have enabled the integration of OpenAI’s advanced AI tools into widely-used platforms such as KakaoTalk and its AI assistant Kanana, demonstrating a tailored approach to meet local user preferences. Additional strategic partnerships with SK Telecom, Krafton, and Korea Development Bank (KDB) aim to accelerate AI applications and infrastructure development across multiple sectors.
Whilst OpenAI has not yet detailed plans for a local data centre, it continues to explore infrastructure investments through potential collaborations with companies such as Oracle and Microsoft. Since May 2025, OpenAI has implemented stringent data residency guarantees ensuring South Korean clients’ content remains within regional boundaries.
South Korea’s extraordinary AI growth trajectory continues to align closely with OpenAI’s strategic global expansion objectives, positioning the Seoul office as a crucial hub for future innovation and growth.
Established in 2017, Burghley Capital Pte. Ltd. (UEN: 201731389D) is a global investment management firm headquartered in Singapore, renowned for expertise in long-only asset management strategies. The firm provides strategic market advantages through rigorous analytical insights, customised investment approaches, and dedicated financial advisory services. Burghley Capital maintains a commitment to disciplined investment practices, consistently striving to deliver exceptional returns and financial resilience for its diverse clientele, including institutional investors and private clients worldwide. For additional insights, please visit https://burghleycapital.com/resources. Media enquiries can be directed to Martin Wei at m.wei@burghleycapital.com or visit https://burghleycapital.com.
