In the first quarter of this year, SK Telecom (017670) recorded an operating profit of 567.4 billion KRW, a 13.8% increase from the same period last year. The company’s AI-focused ventures, including AI data centers and AI transformation (AIX), have successfully entered a profitable trajectory. However, the company’s revenue slightly decreased by 0.5% year-over-year to 4.4537 trillion KRW, influenced by the sale of some subsidiaries last year. Net income saw a slight decline of 0.1% compared to the previous year.
Business-wise, the AI data center sector grew by 11.1% year-over-year, achieving sales of 102 billion KRW in the first quarter. The company aims to further expand by constructing hyperscale AI data centers in the future. The AIX segment also recorded a 27.2% growth, with 45.2 billion KRW in sales, driven by growing AI cloud revenue and expanding B2B marketing orders. The corporate AI service ‘A. Biz’ is set for official release in the first half of the year following beta testing.
In the AI service domain, the AI agent service Esther launched an open beta in the U.S. in late March, with aims for official rollout later this year based on user feedback. The mobile and broadband telecom sectors also continued to see an increase in subscriber numbers, particularly in 5G and high-speed internet.
SK Telecom has set its Q1 2025 dividend at 830 KRW per share, with the record date on May 31. The company modified its dividend policy to specify the dividend amount before setting the record date for better predictability.
In response to a recent hacking incident involving customer USIM information, SK Telecom has heightened its FDS to the highest level and has automatically included all eligible customers in the USIM protection service. Additionally, 1.47 million customers have completed a free USIM replacement as of May 11. From May 12, a new ‘USIM Reset’ solution will block USIM duplication without physical replacement, and upgraded protection services will be available for international roaming. To focus on these security measures, SK Telecom has halted all new subscription activities at over 2,600 T-World locations nationwide.
SK Telecom’s CFO, Kim Yang-seop, emphasized that the company will use this cyber incident as an opportunity to reinforce its core competencies and maintain customer trust that has been built over the past 40 years.