September 30, 2025
SEOUL – OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, said Monday that it has appointed Kim Kyoung-hoon, former country director of Google Korea, as the inaugural general manager of its newly launched Korean subsidiary, OpenAI Korea.
Kim, a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in global IT and consulting, will lead OpenAI’s strategic partnerships and AI ecosystem expansion efforts in Korea — one of the fastest-growing markets for artificial intelligence adoption.
A graduate of Seoul National University with a degree in computer engineering, Kim also holds an MBA from Duke University in the US. He has long been active in Korea’s digital policy and innovation circles, including his role as a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, where he has supported policy dialogues across information and communication technology, cybersecurity and the content industry.
Before joining Google Korea in 2015, Kim built his career at global consulting firm Bain & Co., leading strategic initiatives for clients across ICT, consumer goods and manufacturing. He served as head of Google marketing solutions for Korea and head of strategy and operations for the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to the growth of mobile and search advertising solutions.
From 2021 until recently, Kim served as the country director of Google Korea, where he played a central role in strengthening Google’s presence in the Korean market. Under his leadership, the company expanded its developer support programs and startup initiatives, helping nurture Korea’s digital and AI ecosystems.
“Korea is one of the fastest adopters of AI in the world, and Kyoung-hoon is the right leader to seize this opportunity,” said Oliver Jay, international managing director at OpenAI.
“With his experience and leadership, we expect OpenAI Korea to play a pivotal role in accelerating the nation’s AI transformation and supporting Korea’s ambition to become an AI G3 powerhouse through close collaboration with government, academia and industry.”
Kim expressed his ambition to help Korea cement its status as a global AI leader in a statement. “By combining Korea’s innovation capabilities with OpenAI’s cutting-edge technology, I aim to contribute to shaping Korea’s leadership in the AI era,” he said.
“As the adoption of ChatGPT and OpenAI’s API platform continues to grow in Korea, we will work closely with industry, academia, the developer community and government to build responsible AI use cases and drive meaningful, sustainable impact across Korean society,” he added.