OpenAI CEO Sam Altman postpones visit to Korea

OpenAI said its chief postponed a closely watched visit that included meetings with Samsung, Kakao and Naver, without giving a reason or a new date.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attends a talk session with SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son in Tokyo on Feb. 3, 2025. AFP/YONHAP

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has postponed a planned visit to Korea this weekend, his company said Friday. 

Altman had been scheduled to visit from Sunday to Monday, with a packed itinerary of meetings with senior executives from various technology companies, including Samsung Electronics, Kakao and Naver. He was also set to attend a "DX Insight Talk" event at Samsung's facilities in Suwon, Gyeonggi, and discuss AI cooperation with Samsung's memory chief, Jun Young-hyun, and the co-CEO of Samsung Electronics,  Roh Tae-moon, before heading to Kakao's Pangyo headquarters to meet CEO Chung Shin-a, and a separate meeting with Naver's leadership.

The visit had drawn significant industry attention amid intensifying global AI competition, with many watching to see whether OpenAI would deepen its partnerships with Korea's major tech companies.

OpenAI did not disclose a specific reason for the postponement or announce a new date for the visit.

"South Korea is a very important country and a strategic partner for OpenAI," it said in a statement. "Our ongoing collaborations with domestic partners will continue as planned."

BY JEONG JAE-HONG [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]