OpenAI Partners with South Korea’s Kakao Amid Rising AI Competition
Alongside the Kakao deal, Altman is engaging with top South Korean semiconductor manufacturers.
OpenAI has signed a strategic partnership with South Korean tech giant Kakao, expanding its AI influence following rising competition from Chinese rival DeepSeek.
The deal, announced on Tuesday, enables Kakao to integrate ChatGPT into its new AI-driven services, enhancing platforms such as KakaoTalk, South Korea’s largest messaging app.
The collaboration positions Kakao within OpenAI’s global alliance, reinforcing its standing amid intensifying competition in the artificial intelligence sector. “Kakao has a deep understanding of how technology can enrich everyday lives,” said Altman. “We look forward to transforming user experiences together.”
Kakao CEO Shina Chung expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, calling it a “strategic collaboration” aimed at leveraging OpenAI’s expertise.
Altman’s South Korea Tour
Alongside the Kakao deal, Altman is engaging with top South Korean semiconductor manufacturers.
He met with SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won and SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung in Seoul to discuss potential cooperation on AI memory chips, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM) crucial for AI servers.
He is also scheduled to meet Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong.
Jaejune Kim, Samsung’s executive VP for memory business, recently acknowledged monitoring industry shifts, particularly in response to DeepSeek’s advancements.
The DeepSeek Disruption
DeepSeek’s emergence has unsettled Silicon Valley, with analysts highlighting its high performance and competitive pricing as a challenge to US developers.
OpenAI has raised concerns about Chinese firms replicating its advanced AI models, alleging that competitors employ a technique called “distillation”—where smaller AI models learn by mimicking larger ones.
Meanwhile, OpenAI itself faces scrutiny over alleged intellectual property violations, particularly regarding the use of copyrighted materials in training its generative AI systems.
US AI Strategy and Global Implications
Altman’s firm is a key player in the Stargate initiative, a US government-backed program pledging up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure.
The partnership with Kakao signals OpenAI’s commitment to broadening its global footprint as AI development becomes a geopolitical and technological battleground.