SK Telecom was chosen by the Korean authorities for a serious GPU leasing challenge to help AI growth, regardless of missing a key safety certification
In sum, what to know:
SK Telecom wins GPU bid – SK Telecom was chosen for a serious authorities GPU leasing challenge to help AI growth, regardless of missing CSAP safety certification, a transfer that sparked trade concern.
Safety rule change – For the primary time, South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT allowed non-CSAP licensed corporations to bid, so long as they submitted equal safety plans, reversing earlier coverage.
Business backlash grows – Licensed suppliers expressed frustration after investing closely to satisfy CSAP necessities, solely to seek out guidelines modified midstream. The Ministry insists SKT met safety requirements and had {hardware} readiness.
Korean provider SK Telecom has been chosen as the highest bidder for a government-funded GPU leasing challenge aimed toward strengthening South Korea’s home AI capabilities—despite the fact that the telco lacks certification below the Cloud Safety Assurance Program (CSAP), a key safety customary required by the federal government.
A report by native newspaper The Chosun Day by day reported that the number of SK Telecom has drawn criticism from trade stakeholders.
The report highlighted that the CSAP certification, managed by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Web & Safety Company (KISA), evaluates whether or not cloud service suppliers have adequate safeguards in place to guard in opposition to cyberattacks. An trade official quoted within the article questioned the rationale behind awarding the challenge to SK Telecom, significantly after the corporate skilled a major hacking incident earlier this 12 months and nonetheless lacks CSAP approval.
The Ministry launched a public tender in Might for a challenge to lease GPU sources from personal corporations and make them accessible to AI builders throughout South Korea. The initiative is backed by KRW150 billion ($108 million) from South Korea’s first supplementary finances for 2025. Within the bid to put in 1,000 Nvidia B200 GPUs, SK Telecom emerged because the highest-ranked applicant.
Among the many prime bidders for the challenge’s two segments, SK Telecom was the one one which had not obtained CSAP certification, based on the report. Earlier GPU leasing applications, introduced in January 2024 and January 2025, had explicitly required CSAP certification as a prerequisite for participation.
Nonetheless, the newest tender relaxed that requirement. The Ministry acknowledged in its request for proposals that whereas CSAP standing could be considered throughout evaluations, corporations with out certification might nonetheless take part by submitting a safety plan equal to CSAP requirements.
This transformation has triggered criticism from different trade gamers who had spent appreciable time and sources to satisfy CSAP requirements. “Firms that invested closely in CSAP certification simply to qualify for presidency contracts now really feel like they’ve been penalized,” one cloud supplier official instructed Chosun.
In response, a Ministry official defined that SK Telecom had submitted a safety plan judged to be equal to CSAP requirements. The official additionally famous that SK Telecom had already positioned pre-orders for the required B200 GPUs.
“There was no preferential remedy,” the official mentioned. “Whereas CSAP will not be a compulsory situation for such tenders going ahead, we’ve suggested SK Telecom that getting certification continues to be of their finest curiosity.”
Via its “AI Infrastructure Superhighway” and “AI Pyramid Technique” initiatives, the Asian telco is investing closely in AI knowledge facilities, cloud-based GPU companies and edge computing to help the rising calls for of AI functions and companies.
On the core of SK Telecom’s AI ambitions is the event of an “AI Infrastructure Superhighway,” a strategic initiative targeted on three predominant elements particularly AI knowledge facilities, GPU-as-a-service and Edge AI.
SK Telecom had beforehand introduced its ambition to grow to be a world synthetic intelligence firm by strengthening its personal AI competitiveness and cooperating with companions globally.
The telco had beforehand reorganized its operations into seven key divisions, with a robust deal with AI. This consists of specialised items similar to AI Transformation (AIX), AIDC, A. (A-Dot), and International Private AI Agent (GPAA), all devoted to enabling differentiated companies and AI management.
