CEOSCOREDAILY: Executive Leadership Insights & Analysis

KT’s ‘Park Yoon-young’ launches in March… “Invest KRW 1 trillion in security and make profits through AI and B2B”

“Security is communication competitiveness”… Restore trust by investing KRW 1 trillion over the next 5 years
Big tech alliance, including MS and Palantir, accelerates targeting of AI and cloud markets
The ‘personnel clock’ stopped until mid-February… Urgent reorganization to minimize leadership gap

KT is attempting to kill two birds with one stone: restoring customer trust damaged under the ‘Park Yun-young CEO system’, which will be officially launched at the general shareholders’ meeting in March, and expanding new B2B (business-to-business) business utilizing AI and DX expertise.

KT held a conference call to announce fourth quarter performance on the 10th and presented this year’s business blueprint. The strategy is to use the information leak incident experienced last year as an opportunity to turn around and solidify the competitiveness of the main business of communication networks and security, while also taking the lead in the AI/DX (digital transformation) market by leveraging alliances with global big techs such as Microsoft (MS).

◇ “1 trillion won for 5 years just for security”… Redefine security governance

First, the area that KT places the most emphasis on this year is ‘security.’ The policy is to go beyond simple response and internalize security as a sustainable competitive edge of the company. To this end, KT will invest approximately 1 trillion won in information security over the next five years.

Specifically, company-wide security governance will be reestablished centered on the ‘Information Security Innovation Task Force (TF)’ directly under the CEO. We plan to integrate distributed security functions and significantly strengthen the authority of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to clarify the decision-making structure. In addition, the plan is to introduce a ‘Zero Trust’ security system that can be verified externally and block security blind spots at the source through regular inspections in line with international standards.

KT’s plan to strengthen its security system.

◇ ‘B2B expert’ Park Yun-young… MS, Palantir, AI, cloud drive

The field where the colors of the ‘Park Yoon-young system’ are most clearly revealed is B2B business. Park, a former head of the corporate business division and well-versed in the B2B field, is expected to make a big splash this year with new services based on global partnerships.

Through cooperation with Microsoft, KT plans to actively target the demand for AX (AI conversion) by establishing ‘SOTA K’, a Korean-specific AI language model, and ‘Secure Public Cloud (SPC)’ with enhanced security in the market. In addition, by joining forces with data analysis company Palantir, we will significantly expand data and AI consulting business opportunities centered on the financial sector. Internally, we plan to meet market expectations by implementing plans to increase corporate value, such as purchasing and canceling treasury shares, without a hitch this year.

◇ Personnel and organizational reorganization personnel until mid-February… When will the ‘Park Yoon-young system’ be overhauled?

However, KT’s internal clock is running rather slowly. Executive personnel and organizational reorganization, which would normally have been completed at the beginning of the year, have not been completed as of mid-February. Even considering the special nature of the CEO replacement period, it is worrisome that the leadership vacuum is prolonged at a time when a strong drive should be made upon the inauguration of the new CEO in March.

There are many voices inside and outside KT that in order for the business strategy planned by nominee Park Yoon-young to quickly permeate into the field, the organizational reorganization must be completed this month, before the general shareholders’ meeting. The KT Board of Directors also expressed its position, saying, “We look forward to an amicable discussion between the next CEO and the current management and will actively cooperate with the results.”

[CEO스코어데일리 / 김동일 기자 / same91@ceoscore.co.kr]

Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited> 2026-02-10 17:30:00 Sent