South Korea’s leading telecommunications operator, SK Telecom (SKT), recently established SK Hyper and SK Horizon in quick succession. The moves mark a pivotal shift for telecommunications AI, signaling a transition from internal operational optimization toward full-scale infrastructure monetization.

Chief Telecom said on September 30 that it is working with Google Cloud to combine international submarine cable resources and deploy Cross-Site Interconnect (CSI) technology. The partnership is aimed at launching diversified cross-border submarine cable services to strengthen digital resilience as cable disruptions have increased worldwide and drawn attention to Taiwan’s critical infrastructure.

Xunfei Healthcare (iFLYTEK Medical), the healthcare AI arm of China’s iFlytek, is using its Spark Medical Large Model to support diagnosis and medical record generation while tackling challenges including clinical workflow integration, differences in care settings, and model hallucinations. It also hopes to bring its experience from China to South Korea through local partnerships.