[Exclusive] OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Visit to South Korea Delayed Due to Birth of Second Daughter

[Financial News] The main reason for the delay in OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's visit to South Korea appears to have been a personal family event.
According to the information technology industry on the 18th, Altman recently welcomed his second daughter through a surrogate. The birth came earlier than expected, overlapping with his planned trip to South Korea on the 14th and 15th, which led to the unavoidable cancellation.
As a culture of balancing work and family is spreading in Silicon Valley, some say Altman also adjusted his schedule to prioritize time with his family.
Altman had also planned to visit Japan after his trip to South Korea, but that visit is also believed to have been canceled.
Industry sources had speculated that his canceled trip may have been linked to various factors, including a United States government investigation into OpenAI or the imminent release of a new model. However, those theories are said to be unrelated.
Altman had originally planned to meet with executives from major South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, Naver and Kakao, to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI).
He had also been expected to discuss a lecture for Samsung Electronics employees on the development of generative AI technology, industry changes and future business strategies, but that plan fell through.
At OpenAI's developer event in South Korea on the 15th, Mark Chen, Chief Research Officer (CRO), attended in place of Altman.
Because the schedule change was unavoidable, industry observers expect Altman to visit South Korea again soon to discuss cooperation with local companies. As global competition for AI dominance intensifies, major tech leaders, including NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, have been visiting South Korea one after another to pursue partnerships.
OpenAI is currently maintaining active partnerships with the Government of the Republic of Korea as well as domestic companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Group and Kakao.
[email protected] Juwon Gyu Reporter