KT Koo Hyun-mo "Studio Gini Considering Transition to Intermediate Holding Company... Season Spin-off Possible"

Having Characteristics of a Mid-Level Holding Company but Considering Its Form
High Possibility of Spinning Off OTT Season
Delive Acquisition Stalled
Will Adhere to Principles Proposed Last October

KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo is presenting KT Group's media content business strategy at KT Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 23rd. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo stated on the 23rd at a media briefing regarding the launch of KT Studio Genie that they are considering the possibility of KT Studio Genie transitioning into an intermediate holding company.

Regarding a question about vertical integration of media content, CEO Koo said, "Studio Genie has the nature of an intermediate holding company, but we are still contemplating what form it will take," adding, "Our own online video service (OTT) Season is highly likely to spin off internally."

Most major media content affiliates such as Nasmedia, KTH, and Genie Music have spun off into independent corporations, and Storywiz, a specialized intellectual property (IP) company for webtoons and web novels, also joined the ranks of independent entities early last year.

CEO Koo refrained from commenting on the restructuring of other non-core KT Group affiliates. Since his appointment in March last year, he has been attempting to restructure the entire group by actively pursuing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) alongside the reorganization of non-core affiliates. In particular, he has prominently promoted the 'Digital Platform Company (Digico)' strategy and declared a departure from traditional telecommunications. The media sector's revenue has also surpassed the 3 trillion won mark.

He stated, "As mentioned in October last year, we are maintaining and strengthening the functions necessary for a telecommunications company (telco) while expanding and developing Digico-related areas according to our existing principles," adding, "The acquisition of D'Live is currently stagnant and needs to be observed. It is difficult to comment on other affiliates such as KT Powertel."

He also shared his reflections on his one-year tenure as CEO. He said, "While the impact of COVID-19 on sales was significant, I regret the lack of face-to-face communication with employees," but added, "However, the company showed growth in the Digico sector last year, and indicators suggest that public perception has positively changed."

He continued, "This year, KT's internal working methods are expected to improve compared to last year," and added, "As new achievements emerge in the cloud sector, media commerce, and new business areas, there will be opportunities to share updates again."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.