SK Telecom CEO Jung Jae-heon (정재헌) said the company will step up efforts to secure key infrastructure and speed up the push to attract global customers, following the launch of SK Hyper, a dedicated corporation specialising in business development for AI data centres.

In an internal message on July 23, Jung said, "Now is the golden time for execution, as competition to secure AI infrastructure is intensifying." He added, "We are launching SK Hyper to rapidly execute AI data centres, the company’s core growth business, and deliver tangible results."

SKT held a board meeting on the day and approved the establishment of SK Hyper and an investment plan. SK Hyper will be set up as a wholly owned SKT subsidiary, and SKT plans to invest a total of 750 billion won in stages by 2030 depending on business progress.

Jung said the name SK Hyper reflects the will to "go beyond all limits and open up infinite possibilities." He stressed that the company will focus on accelerating business development for AI data centres it will build in step with the government’s "Korea Great Leap Mega Project."

SK Hyper will be responsible for securing sites for new AI data centres, building and operating substations, attracting global customers and commercialisation. It plans to preemptively secure sites and power, cited as key bottlenecks in the data centre construction process, and lead large-scale infrastructure development.

SKT aims to secure the foundation for an AI data centre business of 5 gigawatts by 2029 and build infrastructure of 15 gigawatts by 2035, centred on SK Hyper. SK Hyper will handle new AI data centre business development and large-scale construction, while SKT will focus on developing business models, including AI factories, and securing core capabilities. SK Broadband will strengthen its existing data centre operations capabilities.

Jung said, "Our goal is to expand our business into core areas of the AI infrastructure value chain and leap into an Asian AI infrastructure hub." He added, "From now on, we must move boldly, firmly build our capabilities and secure competitiveness."