Chey tours AI data center and CLX complex in Ulsan

First on-site visit since AX transformation declaration three months ago

Group affiliate CEOs, including President Jang Yong-ho, join tour

Chey expected to attend Ulsan Forum on Friday

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won inspects construction progress during a management-by-walking-around visit to the "SK AI Data Center Ulsan" construction site in Nam-gu, Ulsan, on Thursday. (SK Group)
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won inspects construction progress during a management-by-walking-around visit to the "SK AI Data Center Ulsan" construction site in Nam-gu, Ulsan, on Thursday. (SK Group)

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has called for the conglomerate's member companies to work together to take the lead in artificial intelligence.

SK Group said Friday that Chey made the remarks during back-to-back visits Thursday to the SK AI Data Center Ulsan and SK Innovation's Ulsan CLX complex. "The AI infrastructure symbolized by the SK AI Data Center Ulsan and the SK Innovation Ulsan CLX, where that AI is put to work in actual production, must ultimately be linked together to complete the 'AI full-stack provider' that SK is aiming to become," Chey said.

The visit marked Chey's first on-site management push for AI transformation, or AX, projects at home. It came about three months after he declared a management overhaul centered on AX at the New Icheon Forum in June. He was accompanied by CEOs from key group affiliates, including SK Innovation President Jang Yong-ho, SK Telecom President Jung Jae-heon and SK Gas President Yoon Byung-suk. Also joining were SK Enmove President Kim Won-ki, SK Energy and SK Geo Centric President Kim Jong-hwa, SK Broadband President Kim Sung-soo and SK Ecoplant President Kim Young-sik.

The SK AI Data Center Ulsan is the first project site under SK Group's nationwide plan to build 15 GW of AI infrastructure. The facility is being built together with Amazon Web Services, with operations targeted to begin by the end of next year. The data center project alone requires 7 trillion won ($5.23 billion) in funding. SK Group plans to mobilize capabilities across the group during construction, drawing on SK Telecom, SK Broadband, SK Chemicals, SK hynix and SK AX, among others.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won encourages employees during a management-by-walking-around visit to SK Innovation's Ulsan CLX complex in Nam-gu, Ulsan, on Thursday. (SK Group)
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won encourages employees during a management-by-walking-around visit to SK Innovation's Ulsan CLX complex in Nam-gu, Ulsan, on Thursday. (SK Group)

Visiting the construction site of the SK AI Data Center Ulsan, Chey told workers that the facility would serve as a cornerstone for South Korea's AI development. He urged them to take pride in the project while prioritizing safety during construction.

At SK Innovation's Ulsan CLX complex, Chey called the site "the heart of SK Innovation, which forms the foundation of SK Group." He encouraged employees to keep leading the group's AX innovation with the same dedication they had shown so far.

The Ulsan CLX complex is a key site for SK Innovation's manufacturing AX efforts, applying AI to refining and chemical processes. The goal is to simultaneously optimize operations, strengthen safety management and improve energy efficiency.

Meanwhile, Chey is expected to attend the Ulsan Forum on Friday at the Ulsan Exhibition and Convention Center. The event, co-hosted by SK Group and the Ulsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, seeks ways to foster regional innovation. This year's forum will focus on AX in manufacturing. Chey attended the forum in person for three consecutive years from 2022, its inaugural year, through 2024.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com