SK Telecom is setting up SK Hyper, a specialised company for AI data centre (DC) business development, and will invest 750 billion won by 2030. It plans to build 15 GW of infrastructure by 2035 in step with a government mega project.

SKT held a board meeting on July 23 and approved the establishment of SK Hyper and the investment plan. SK Hyper will be set up as a wholly owned subsidiary of SKT. SKT plans to make the investment in instalments by 2030 depending on business progress, within its total investment limit.

SK Hyper will support land acquisition for building AI DCs, and the construction and operation of substations, customer recruitment and commercialisation. The name reflects an aim to expand possibilities beyond limits and rapidly scale up hyperscale-level AI DC business.

SKT plans to open AI data centres with a capacity of 5 GW in stages by 2029, centred on SK Hyper. It then plans to expand the total build-out to 15 GW by 2035, taking market demand into account.

It will expand regional AI infrastructure by building additional GW-class AI data centres in the Chungcheong region and the southwestern region, starting with the creation of a GW-class AI data centre cluster in Ulsan.

SKT recently also created an AI DC Integrated Task Force that reports directly to the chief executive officer to consolidate group-level AI data centre capabilities.

Jung Seok-geun (정석근), head of SKT's AI CIC, was appointed as SK Hyper's first chief executive. Jung will also serve as head of the AI DC Integrated Task Force, linking SK Group's AI data centre-related organisations and overseeing business 추진.

Jung, SK Hyper's chief executive, said, "SK Hyper will translate SK Group's blueprint for an 'Asia AI infrastructure hub' into concrete reality." He added, "Through systematic and rapid execution, we will secure core infrastructure and customers and contribute to South Korea's rise to become one of the world's top three AI powers."