OpenAI to Establish Two Data Centers in South Korea Following CEO Altman's Meeting with President Lee Jae Myung

OpenAI Forges Data Center Partnerships in South Korea

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited Seoul on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, to meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, where tentative agreements were reached to establish two new data centers in the country. This strategic move aims to address the escalating demands for artificial intelligence infrastructure and reinforce South Korea's position as a burgeoning AI hub. The meeting, held at the presidential office in Seoul, also saw the participation of key industry leaders, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won.

Strategic Locations and Key Collaborators

The agreements outline plans for two distinct data center facilities, each with an initial capacity of 20 megawatts.

• One data center is slated for Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, and will be developed in partnership with Samsung Electronics.
• The second facility will be located in South Jeolla Province, involving collaboration with SK hynix, a subsidiary of SK Group, or SK Telecom.

These data centers are integral to OpenAI's ambitious Stargate project, a global initiative with an estimated investment of $500 billion aimed at constructing a network of hyperscale AI data centers worldwide by 2029. The partnerships extend beyond data center construction, with Samsung C&T and Samsung Heavy Industries exploring the development of innovative floating data centers, which offer advantages in space efficiency and thermal management.

Bolstering AI Chip Supply and National Ambitions

A critical component of these collaborations involves the supply of advanced semiconductors. Samsung and SK Hynix, global leaders in memory chip manufacturing, have signed preliminary agreements to provide High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) semiconductors for the Stargate project. OpenAI reportedly seeks to procure volumes equivalent to as many as 900,000 wafers per month by 2029 to power its custom AI accelerators. This significant demand underscores South Korea's pivotal role in the global AI supply chain, given that Samsung and SK Hynix collectively command nearly 80% of the global HBM market.

The South Korean government, through its Science Ministry, also signed a nonbinding agreement with OpenAI to foster the nation's AI ecosystem and accelerate its AI transformation. President Lee Jae Myung expressed the nation's goal to become one of the top three global AI powerhouses, a vision strongly supported by these new partnerships. South Korea has already demonstrated significant engagement with AI technologies, ranking as the second-largest market for ChatGPT subscribers after the United States. This collaboration is expected to further propel South Korea's strategic investments in AI infrastructure, which include a $65 billion plan by 2027 to enhance its computing capabilities and foster strategic alliances.