OpenAI Expands Cybersecurity Cooperation With South Korean Government
OpenAI announced Wednesday it will broaden access to its AI cyber defense tools for South Korean government agencies, public institutions, and private companies. The company unveiled the Korea Cyber Action Plan during a press conference in Seoul, designed to give defenders access to specialized AI models for identifying threats, generating patches, and verifying fixes.
Jason Kwon, OpenAI's chief strategy officer, said the company is treating AI as critical infrastructure. "Advanced cyber AI capabilities should not remain in the hands of only a few," Kwon said. "Korea's key defenders should be able to use them to strengthen collective security and public safety."
Access Controls and Data Protection
The plan centers on expanding Trusted Access for Cyber, a program that grants verified defensive users access to specialized models. OpenAI said it is scaling the program to thousands of individual defenders and hundreds of teams protecting critical software.
To address misuse concerns, OpenAI limits access to "trusted defenders" who undergo strict verification. The company also supports data residency in South Korea, allowing data to be processed on domestic servers. Public agencies and companies can also choose an option where data is not stored at all.
Access for the South Korean government to the government version of the program is in its final stage. OpenAI is also discussing adoption with several Korean companies.
Building Safety Capabilities Locally
OpenAI has begun talks with the Korea AI Safety Institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT. The company plans to draw on its experience working with AI safety institutes in the United States and Britain to help South Korea develop model evaluation capabilities.
Before the announcement, OpenAI demonstrated its latest cyber-focused models to major agencies including the science ministry, foreign ministry, interior ministry, and financial regulator. Kwon also met with Ryu Je-myung, second vice minister of science and ICT, to discuss AI security cooperation.
Market Growth in South Korea
South Korea ranks among the top 10 global markets for ChatGPT adoption, with rapid growth in AI usage. Weekly active users of ChatGPT Codex in the country have increased tenfold since the start of the year, placing South Korea among the top five countries by usage.
More than half of Codex requests come from non-development work such as document writing, analysis, research, and operations, showing potential for wider enterprise use.
Kwon said changes in OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft now allow the company to provide API services through multiple cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services. He said enterprise growth is expected to accelerate, with OpenAI aiming to provide stronger AI performance at the same cost or lower unit prices over time.
For government professionals looking to understand AI's role in cybersecurity and national resilience, explore AI Learning Path for Cybersecurity Analysts or AI for Government resources.
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