ChatGPT developer OpenAI has established a South Korean unit and plans to open an office in Seoul, the company said, amidst strong demand for its services in the country.

Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, said South Korea has the largest number of paid ChatGPT subscribers after the US and ranks in the top 10 countries for both ChatGPT users and developers using OpenAI platforms.

“Koreans are not just the early adopters of ChatGPT, but they are also shaping how it is used across the world,” he said in remarks reported by Yonhap news agency.

International expansion

The Seoul office is to be OpenAI’s third Asian branch after offices in Tokyo and Singapore.

Kwon, who is on a tour of Asian countries this week, said the office would be opened in the coming months and that OpenAI would begin hiring a local team.

The move comes amidst global expansion as OpenAI has launched 11 international bases in cities including Brussels, London, Paris, Singapore, Dublin and Tokyo in recent years.

Earlier this year the company formed a deal with South Korean chat app operator Kakao to develop AI products for the country, and has also worked with game maker Krafton and mobile carrier SK Telecom on AI technology and data centre development.

Kwon is set to hold a meeting with officials from South Korea’s ruling party and its main opposition party, local media reported.

He did not give any information on a possible data centre project in South Korea, after recent reports indicated OpenAI is considering Asia-Pacific for future infrastructure sites.

Data centres

Earlier this month OpenAI, through its Stargate AI infrastructure project, secured a deal to build a massive data centre campus in the United Arab Emirates.

Asia-Pacific has more data centres than any other region worldwide, with Google, Microsoft and Meta Platforms all planning expansion there.

Kwon is reportedly planning to visit Japan, Australia, India and Singapore starting this week.

The tour is part of a push by OpenAI to work with governments to build AI capabilities and customise OpenAI products for local languages and needs, with 10 upcoming partnerships planned, Bloomberg reported last week.

The company’s aggressive plans are backed by the White House, but have drawn opposition from lawmakers in Congress who are concerned that cutting-edge AI technology could make its way into the hands of Chinese competitors.