Chung Jae-heon, CEO of SK Telecom (017670.KS), emphasized customer-centric change and a business realignment centered on artificial intelligence (AI) during a meeting with employees. He also outlined plans to focus on public sector and defense AI businesses.
Chung held a town hall meeting on Tuesday at the company's headquarters in Euljiro, Seoul, to mark his sixth month in office, encouraging employees who had joined the company-wide effort to address the crisis following last year's hacking incident.
"Amid the sense of crisis that the company could collapse, the ultimate core was the customer," Chung said. "Instead of giving up, we approached our customers again, and every drop of sweat is gradually creating change."
Chung identified AI as a future growth engine and presented specific achievements and directions. He shared business results including the expansion of AI data center capacity and the second-stage rollout of the company's proprietary foundation model. He cited the integrated fault monitoring system "SPIDER" as a representative example of AI-based work innovation (AX).
Chung also announced a business reorganization plan. SK Telecom will establish an "Enterprise Task Force" directly under the CEO to consolidate the company's business-to-business (B2B) capabilities, aiming to secure new business opportunities in areas such as public sector and defense AI B2B. The task force will be led by Han Myung-jin, head of the MNO CIC, concurrently. To strengthen execution in the AI data center business, the company will also establish an AI DC Business Division (led concurrently by Chung Seok-geun, head of AI CIC) and an AI DC Development Division (led by Ha Min-yong) within the AI CIC, reinforcing expertise in each area. In the telecommunications business, the company will pursue a two-track strategy that combines strengthening planning and development capabilities for mid- to long-term projects, including the construction of an AI-optimized integrated IT system, with enhancing current digital competitiveness.
SK Telecom will also significantly overhaul its corporate culture and rank system. The existing two-tier rank structure of A and B bands will be subdivided into a three-tier "Growth Level" system consisting of growing-stage professionals (GL1), core contributors (GL2), and leaders/leader candidates (GL3). A specialist track will also be newly established to foster an expert-centered corporate culture.
"To prepare for the next ten and twenty years, we have selected growth businesses and are pursuing organizational pivoting and HR system changes," Chung said. "Tangible results may be slow in the short term, and the AX transition may take more time, but let us boldly execute for the future that will return once we overcome these challenges."
