OpenAI, the U.S.-based artificial intelligence pioneer behind ChatGPT, announced plans to establish a new office in Seoul, South Korea, marking its third Asian hub after Japan and Singapore.

The move, set for the coming months, responds to soaring regional demand for its AI services, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement Monday.

South Korea boasts the largest number of paying ChatGPT subscribers outside the U.S., highlighting the country’s growing appetite for advanced AI solutions.

The new office aims to strengthen OpenAI’s local engagement and foster deeper partnerships across the region, the company noted.

A key collaboration is with Kakao, South Korea’s dominant mobile-messaging platform, used by approximately 90% of the nation’s smartphone users.

Kakao announced Monday it is working with OpenAI to integrate cutting-edge AI into its KakaoTalk app and boost employee productivity.

“Korea’s full-stack AI ecosystem makes it one of the most promising markets in the world for meaningful AI impact, from silicon to software, and students to seniors,” Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon said in the statement.

OpenAI stated that it continues to collaborate with Krafton, a video-game developer, Korea Development Bank, a state-owned lender, and SK Telecom, a wireless-communications provider, in South Korea.