KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo Meets Philippine President to Discuss Digital Innovation

"Leveraging Domestic Success Stories as a Stepping Stone to Enter the Global Market"

On the 14th, KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo (right) is having a cordial conversation with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Malaca?ang Palace in the Philippines. Photo by KT

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] KT is expanding its global opportunities centered on its Digico (digital platform company) business.

KT announced on the 16th that CEO Koo Hyun-mo visited the Philippines on the 14th and met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss digital transformation (DX) plans across the nation's society.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in June, has promoted a nationwide information and communication technology (ICT) vision called "Digital Philippines," aiming to build a transparent and efficient national administrative system and improve the living standards of the people.

CEO Koo introduced Korea's "Digital Platform Government" and the "Digital Philippines" vision as being aligned, emphasizing the limitless development potential of the ICT sector in the Philippines. He suggested that geographically, the Philippines could become a key hub for Asia's submarine cable communications, and with support for ICT education, it could rapidly emerge as a solution to the global ICT workforce shortage. He also explained that the relatively low barriers to introducing new DX systems are an advantage.

Furthermore, KT has grown as a telecommunications company in the Korean market but recently has transformed into a Digico company with capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and media. It has built various AI-based DX systems such as transportation and logistics in cooperation with domestic local governments. He added that Korean companies could greatly assist in solving social issues faced by the Philippines, such as transportation and housing shortages, based on their accumulated growth know-how.

Meanwhile, KT established a local subsidiary in the Philippines in 2018 and completed the construction of approximately 1,570 km of optical cable backbone network in the Luzon region. In 2021, it won and is currently carrying out an ICT infrastructure construction project in the Palawan region. KT is exploring additional local business opportunities.

CEO Koo Hyun-mo emphasized, "The Digico business is at an early stage globally and has a very high growth rate," adding, "We will diversify opportunities to enter the global market based on our domestic success cases."

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