Samsung Electronics and SK Group have joined OpenAI’s Stargate initiative, forging new partnerships to expand global artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and bolster South Korea’s position as a leading AI hub.
The agreements, announced after a meeting between President Lee Jae-myung, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Samsung Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee, and SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, highlight Korea’s growing role in advancing next-generation AI technologies.
Under the partnership, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will scale up production of advanced memory chips, with plans to reach 900,000 DRAM wafer starts per month. These chips are essential for training and deploying large AI models, including OpenAI’s most advanced systems.
OpenAI also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Science and ICT to explore building new AI data centers in Korea, particularly outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The initiative is expected to spur balanced regional growth and create new jobs. Additional agreements with SK Telecom, Samsung C&T, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Samsung SDS will examine further data center projects.
Beyond infrastructure, Samsung and SK will incorporate OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise and API tools into their operations to streamline workflows and drive innovation.
Altman praised Korea’s AI potential, saying the country “has all the ingredients to be a global leader in AI — incredible tech talent, world-class infrastructure, strong government support, and a thriving AI ecosystem.”
Industry leaders echoed the sentiment. Jay Y. Lee called the partnership a pivotal moment for global AI, while Chey Tae-won described Stargate as a “landmark” for comprehensive innovation across semiconductors, energy, and networks.
The collaborations signal a deeper alignment between OpenAI and South Korea’s tech giants as the country pursues its ambition to become one of the world’s top three AI powers.
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