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New SKT CEO says that he will prioritize rebuilding customers' trust, innovation and AI

Published: 16 Dec. 2025, 18:41 Updated: 16 Dec. 2025, 19:07

Jung Jai-hun, the CEO of SK Telecom, speaks during his first town hall meeting with employees at the company’s Supax Hall headquarters in Euljiro, central Seoul, on Dec. 16. [SK TELECOM]

SK Telecom’s (SKT) new chief executive Jung Jai-hun said on Tuesday that he would define his tenure by encouraging change rather than maintaining the status quo. His remark comes as the company refocuses its AI strategy on data centers and in-house models.

“From now on, CEO [...] will stand for 'change executive officer,'” Jung said at the company’s Supex Hall at its Seoul headquarters — his first since taking office.

He said the title reflects his determination to drive innovation: “In an environment where market conditions [...] change by the minute, simply working harder while still using old methods — what I call active inertia — cannot lead to change.”

Consequently, Jung encouraged employees to take risks and pursue new ideas, reassuring them that “management will take responsibility for failures.”

“So I ask our people to demonstrate creativity and take on challenges without hesitation,” he said.

Regarding its core telecommunications business, Jung stated SKT must prioritize customers and rebuild their trust by going back to the basics and improving service quality, security and safety.

The mobile carrier is still reeling from the backlash caused by a massive data breach discovered in April. The leak affected approximately 27 million users and led to an exodus of customers, lawsuits and a fine from regulators.

When SKT underwent an executive reshuffle in October, Jung, a former judge who joined SKT in 2020, was tasked with restoring customers' confidence and strengthening the company's AI division.

The CEO said AI would be central to SKT's future growth, adding that “earlier experimentation and incubation have helped [the company] build a base of assets.”

According to Jung, SKT will now concentrate on areas in which it can compete with global Big Tech firms, such as AI data centers, manufacturing-focused AI and its own proprietary models.

SKT also plans to change how employees work by introducing AI tools to every department.

“For [us] to regain momentum, everyone in the company must share the same values [...] and build initiative and resilience,” Jung said. “We should come together as a team that can turn our principles into results.”

Last Thursday, SKT subsidiary SK Broadband received a second round of early retirement applications from employees aged 50 or older or those with at least 15 years of service.

SKT previously offered compensated exits in October, including severance packages of up to 500 million won ($339,000) and education support for employees' children.

SK Broadband said early retirement was designed to “strengthen competitiveness.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM NAM-YOUNG [[email protected]]