SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM): Analyse de Pestle [Jan-2025 Mise à jour]

Dans le paysage dynamique des télécommunications mondiales, SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM) apparaît comme une puissance de l'innovation, naviguant stratégiquement des défis politiques, économiques, sociologiques, technologiques, juridiques et environnementaux complexes. Cette analyse complète du pilon dévoile l'écosystème complexe qui façonne le parcours remarquable de SKM, révélant comment un géant sud-coréen des télécommunications transforme les obstacles potentiels en opportunités révolutionnaires dans plusieurs domaines de progrès technologique et de positionnement stratégique.

SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs politiques

Soutien du gouvernement fort pour le développement technologique 5G et 6G

Le ministère des Sciences de la Corée du Sud et les TIC ont alloué 1,2 billion de won (890 millions de dollars) pour la recherche et le développement 6G en 2023. SK Telecom a reçu 45% des subventions de développement technologique gouvernemental dans le secteur des télécommunications.

Investissement technologique	Allocation gouvernementale	Part de SK Telecom
Financement de la recherche 6G	1,2 billion gagné	540 milliards de won
Développement des infrastructures 5G	2,5 billions gagnés	1,1 billion gagné

Alignement stratégique avec les initiatives nationales de transformation numérique

SK Telecom participe directement à la nouvelle transaction numérique de la Corée du Sud, qui a un budget total de 58,2 billions de won pour le développement des infrastructures numériques de 2020 à 2025.

• Engagement d'investissement d'infrastructure numérique: 24,6 billions
• Contribution projetée de SK Telecom: 7,3 billions gagnés
• Achèvement de la cible de transformation numérique nationale: 2025

Conformité aux cadres réglementaires sud-coréens des télécommunications

SK Telecom adhère aux réglementations établies par la Corée Communications Commission, qui supervise 100% des opérations de télécommunications dans le pays.

Zone de conformité réglementaire	Pourcentage de conformité
Normes de sécurité du réseau	99.8%
Règlements sur la protection des données	100%
Conformité à l'utilisation du spectre	99.5%

Tensions géopolitiques potentielles affectant les partenariats technologiques internationaux

SK Telecom entretient 17 partenariats technologiques internationaux à travers l'Amérique du Nord, l'Europe et l'Asie, avec un investissement total de 3,6 billions de won dans les collaborations technologiques transfrontalières.

• Nombre de partenariats technologiques internationaux: 17
• Investissement total transfrontalier: 3,6 billions de won
• Distribution de partenariat géographique:
  • Amérique du Nord: 6 partenariats
  • Europe: 5 partenariats
  • Asie: 6 partenariats

SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs économiques

Part de marché important dans le secteur sud-coréen des télécommunications

SK Telecom tient 52.4% La part de marché sur le marché sud-coréen des télécommunications mobiles à partir de 2023. Le chiffre d'affaires total de la société pour 2022 était de 16,87 billions (environ 13,2 milliards de dollars).

Métrique du marché	Valeur	Année
Part de marché mobile	52.4%	2023
Revenus totaux	₩ 16,87 billions	2022
Abonnés mobiles	30,2 millions	2023

Investissement substantiel dans les technologies émergentes

SK Telecom a investi 1,2 billion de ° 18.5% de son budget total à l'innovation technologique.

Investissement technologique	Montant	Pourcentage de budget
R&D des services IA et cloud	₩ 1,2 billion	18.5%
Extension du réseau 5G	₩ 750 milliards	11.6%

Diverses sources de revenus

La répartition des revenus de SK Telecom pour 2022:

• Services mobiles: ₩ 9,45 billions (56%)
• Médias et contenu: ₩ 3,2 billions (19%)
• Ventures technologiques: ₩ 2,75 billions (16%)
• Autres services: ₩ 1,47 billion (9%)

Défis économiques

Les perturbations mondiales de la chaîne d'approvisionnement des semi-conducteurs ont eu un impact sur les coûts opérationnels de SK Telecom. L'entreprise a connu un 7.3% Augmentation des frais d'approvisionnement en équipement technologique en 2022.

Défi économique	Impact	Année
Perturbation de la chaîne d'approvisionnement des semi-conducteurs	Augmentation de 7,3% des coûts de l'équipement	2022
Inflation technologique mondiale	5,6% d'augmentation des dépenses opérationnelles	2022

SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs sociaux

Pénétration élevée des smartphones et connectivité numérique sur le marché sud-coréen

Taux de pénétration du smartphone de Corée du Sud: 95,9% en 2023

Catégorie d'appareil	Taux de pénétration	Nombre d'utilisateurs
Utilisateurs de smartphones	95.9%	49,6 millions
Internautes mobiles	92.3%	47,8 millions

Demande croissante des consommateurs de services numériques et mobiles avancés

Abonnés du réseau 5G en Corée du Sud: 21,4 millions au T2 2023

Type de service	Pénétration du marché	Croissance annuelle
Services 5G	41.2%	15.6%
Paiement mobile	67.3%	22.4%

Accent croissant sur les expériences de télécommunications personnalisées et axées sur les données

Sk Telecom AI Service Users: 3,2 millions à partir de 2023

Service de personnalisation	Base d'utilisateurs	Taux d'engagement
Recommandations alimentées par l'IA	2,7 millions	68.5%
Contenu personnalisé	2,4 millions	62.3%

Changements démographiques vers des segments de consommateurs plus jeunes et avertis de la technologie

Distribution des groupes d'âge des clients SK Telecom: 18-34 ans segment: 48,6%

Groupe d'âge	Pourcentage	Utilisation mensuelle moyenne des données
18-24 ans	22.4%	12,6 Go
25-34 ans	26.2%	9,8 Go
35 à 44 ans	21.3%	6,4 Go

SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs technologiques

Infrastructure et déploiement du réseau 5G en tête en Corée du Sud

SK Telecom a déployé une infrastructure réseau 5G avec les spécifications suivantes:

Métrique du réseau	2024 données
Couverture réseau 5G	95,2% des zones urbaines en Corée du Sud
Stations de base 5G	186 000 stations opérationnelles
Vitesse du réseau 5G	Vitesse de téléchargement moyenne de 1,5 Gbps
Investissement annuel d'infrastructure 5G	₩ 1,2 billion

Investissements importants dans l'intelligence artificielle et les technologies d'apprentissage automatique

Les investissements technologiques de l'IA de SK Telecom comprennent:

Catégorie d'investissement en IA	2024 données financières
Dépenses annuelles de R&D AI	₩ 320 milliards
Personnel de recherche sur l'IA	672 chercheurs dévoués
Brevets technologiques de l'IA	248 brevets enregistrés

Développement actif de l'Internet des objets (IoT) et Smart City Solutions

Skillons IoT de SK Telecom Faits saillants:

Métrique IoT	2024 statistiques
Appareils IoT connectés	3,7 millions d'appareils actifs
Projets de ville intelligente	12 implémentations municipales en cours
Couverture du réseau IoT	92% à l'échelle nationale

Innovation continue dans les technologies de transformation numérique et de télécommunications

Mesures de transformation numérique de SK Telecom:

Catégorie d'innovation	2024 données
Investissement de transformation numérique	₩ 450 milliards
Centres d'innovation technologique	7 installations de recherche opérationnelle
Innovations technologiques annuelles	36 nouveaux développements technologiques

SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs juridiques

Conformité stricte aux réglementations sud-coréennes des télécommunications

SK Telecom fonctionne sous le Télécommunications Act of Corée du Sud, réglementé par le ministère des Sciences et des TIC. Depuis 2024, l'entreprise doit respecter des exigences juridiques spécifiques:

Aspect réglementaire	Détails de la conformité	Exigence légale
Infrastructure réseau	Conformité à 100% des normes nationales d'infrastructure de télécommunications	Loi sur les affaires des télécommunications, article 5
Qualité du service	Exigence minimale de fiabilité du réseau de 99,5%	Règlement de la Commission des communications coréens

Adhésion aux exigences légales de confidentialité et de cybersécurité des données

SK Telecom est conforme au Loi sur la protection des informations personnelles (PIPA):

Métrique de confidentialité	Pourcentage de conformité	Norme de réglementation
Conformité à la protection des données	100% d'alignement avec les directives PIPA	Loi sur la protection de l'information personnelle coréenne
Investissements en cybersécurité	₩ 127,5 milliards de personnes allouées à l'infrastructure de cybersécurité	Cadre national de cybersécurité

Cadres de protection de la propriété intellectuelle

SK Telecom maintient des stratégies de protection de la propriété intellectuelle robustes:

• Portfolio total des brevets: 3 247 brevets enregistrés en 2024
• Dépenses annuelles de protection de la propriété intellectuelle: ₩ 42,3 milliards
• Conformité aux réglementations coréennes de l'Office de la propriété intellectuelle

Collaboration technologique internationale Gestion juridique

SK Telecom navigue sur les complexités juridiques internationales à travers des cadres de collaboration structurés:

Type de collaboration	Nombre d'accords actifs	Mécanisme de conformité juridique
Partenariats technologiques internationaux	17 accords technologiques transfrontaliers actifs	Protocoles de transfert de technologie bilatérale
Inscriptions internationales de brevets	276 Inscriptions internationales de brevets	Traité de la coopération en matière de brevets et des brevets

SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs environnementaux

Engagement envers la technologie durable et les initiatives d'énergie verte

SK Telecom s'est engagé à atteindre 100% utilisation d'énergie renouvelable d'ici 2030. La société a investi 257,4 milliards de KRW dans des initiatives technologiques vertes en 2023.

Investissement en énergie verte	Montant (KRW)	Année cible
Transition d'énergie renouvelable	257,4 milliards	2023-2030
Infrastructure d'énergie solaire	73,2 milliards	2024

Réduire l'empreinte carbone grâce à l'infrastructure de réseau économe en énergie

SK Telecom a réduit la consommation d'énergie du réseau par 23.5% Grâce à une optimisation avancée des infrastructures en 2023.

Métrique de l'efficacité énergétique	Pourcentage de réduction	Année de mise en œuvre
Consommation d'énergie du réseau	23.5%	2023
Efficacité électrique du centre de données	18.7%	2023

Investissement dans l'économie circulaire et les stratégies de gestion des déchets électroniques

SK Telecom a alloué 45,6 milliards de KRW pour les programmes électroniques de recyclage des déchets et d'économie circulaire en 2024.

Initiative de l'économie circulaire	Investissement (KRW)	Métriques cibles
Recyclage des déchets électroniques	45,6 milliards	Taux de recyclage des appareils à 95%
Fabrication d'appareils durables	32,1 milliards	Réduire l'utilisation des matériaux vierges de 40%

Soutenir la durabilité environnementale à travers les innovations technologiques

SK Telecom a développé 5 brevets technologiques verts révolutionnaires axé sur la réduction de l'impact environnemental dans les télécommunications.

• Systèmes de gestion de l'énergie alimentés par l'IA
• Technologies d'infrastructure de réseau à faible teneur en carbone
• Conception d'équipement de télécommunications durables
• Technologies de capture et de réduction du carbone
• Méthodologies de recyclage avancées pour le matériel de télécommunications

SK Telecom Co.,Ltd (SKM) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

You might think of a telecom company purely in terms of network bits and bytes, but honestly, the social contract-what your customers expect and how you respond-is what drives the P&L (Profit and Loss). For SK Telecom, 2025 has been a year where social factors, specifically customer trust and demand for value, have directly impacted the bottom line and forced a major strategic pivot.

High 5G adoption continues, reaching 17.26 million subscribers in Q3 2025.

The Korean consumer is a rapid adopter of new technology, and that trend continues to favor SK Telecom's next-generation network. By the end of Q3 2025, the company reported a massive 17.26 million 5G subscribers, adding approximately 240,000 quarter-over-quarter. This growth is defintely a bright spot. It means that 79% of the company's overall handset subscribers are now on the faster 5G network, showing a strong social preference for high-speed, high-data services.

This high adoption rate is the foundation of their core business, but it also increases the pressure to deliver flawless service and, crucially, to safeguard customer data. You can't have that many users without a massive responsibility.

The company launched a KRW 500 billion Customer Appreciation Package to rebuild trust.

A major social headwind in 2025 was the fallout from a cybersecurity incident. To address the significant breach of customer data, SK Telecom launched an 'Accountability and Commitment Program,' which included a substantial Customer Appreciation Package. This was not a small gesture; it was a compensation package totaling KRW 500 billion (about $350 million).

Here's the quick math on what that package included for customers:

• A 50% discount on the August 2025 monthly mobile bill.
• An additional 50 GB of data provided monthly through December 2025.

The effect was immediate and sharp: the cost of this package was a key factor in the company's consolidated operating income plunging 90.9% year-on-year to KRW 48.4 billion in Q3 2025. This shows you exactly how much a lapse in social trust can cost a major corporation.

Consumer demand for affordable mobile plans is driving regulatory pressure.

Beyond the data breach, a persistent social trend is the consumer push for more affordable mobile plans. The South Korean government has responded to this public sentiment, creating a more competitive environment. This is a structural change, not a one-off event. For instance, the government abolished the Mobile Device Distribution Improvement (MDDI) Act in January 2024 to spur competition and allow for higher handset subsidies, directly benefiting consumers.

This regulatory push is clearly fueling the budget mobile market (known as 'altteul phones'), where subscriptions rose to 9.65 million by February 2025. The Ministry of Science and ICT also pledged to introduce low-cost 5G plans in the 10,000 won ($7.40) range for 20GB of data. While SK Telecom's blended MNO ARPU still grew to KRW 30,554 in Q2 2025, the overall market pressure means they must continuously deliver more value for the price to keep customers from migrating to these cheaper options.

Metric	Value (Q3 2025)	Social Context
5G Subscribers	17.26 million	High social adoption of next-gen technology.
Customer Appreciation Package Value	KRW 500 billion	Direct cost of rebuilding customer trust after a security incident.
Q3 Operating Income (Consolidated)	KRW 48.4 billion (down 90.9% YoY)	Financial impact of the customer compensation package.
Budget Mobile Subscriptions (Feb 2025)	9.65 million	Consumer demand for affordability driving market competition.

Strategic pivot to a Global AI Company reflects shifting user expectations for smart services.

The social expectation is moving past just connectivity; customers now expect their service provider to be an intelligent partner. This is why SK Telecom is undergoing a massive strategic pivot, reorganizing to become a 'Global AI Company' under its 'AI Pyramid 2.0' strategy. They are shifting company-wide AI capabilities into a new AI CIC (Company in Company) structure.

This isn't just talk. The AI business is showing real results, with revenue growing 35.7% year-on-year in Q3 2025. The AI Data Center (AI DC) business alone brought in KRW 149.8 billion in Q3 revenue. Plus, their proprietary AI service, A. (A-Dot), which integrates advanced models like A.X 4.0 and GPT-5, has already surpassed 10.56 million users. The company plans to invest KRW 5 trillion (about US$3.5 billion) over the next five years to cement this AI transformation, showing a clear commitment to delivering the 'smart services' modern consumers now demand.

SK Telecom Co.,Ltd (SKM) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

SK Telecom is fundamentally shifting its core business from a traditional Mobile Network Operator (MNO) to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) company, a strategic move that requires massive capital and significant technological reorientation. You should view their technology strategy as a dual-track effort: aggressively building next-generation AI infrastructure while simultaneously optimizing the maturing 5G network.

Aggressive AI investment plan of approximately KRW 5 trillion over five years

The company is making a clear, massive financial commitment to its AI transformation (AX). In September 2025, SK Telecom announced a plan to invest approximately KRW 5 trillion (Korean Won) in AI over the next five years. This investment is the foundation for their goal to generate at least KRW 5 trillion in annual AI revenue by 2030.

To execute this, the company established an independent in-house company, the AI CIC (Company-in-Company), in September 2025. This new unit consolidates all AI assets-from the consumer-facing 'A.' personal assistant to the enterprise-focused A. Biz service and the AI Data Center business-to accelerate innovation and streamline execution.

Implementing the 'AI Infrastructure Superhighway' with new AIDC hubs

The 'AI Infrastructure Superhighway' is SK Telecom's plan to build a nationwide network of hyper-scale AI Data Centers (AIDC) to support the explosion in AI compute demand. This is a critical move to evolve from a telecom carrier to a cognitive platform provider.

The company is securing AIDC hubs across three major regions in South Korea: the Seoul metropolitan area (Gasan), the southern region (Ulsan), and the southwest region (MoU signed in October 2025). The flagship Ulsan AIDC is slated for expansion to a massive 1 GW-scale capacity, positioning South Korea as a major Asian AI hub. They are also expanding globally, starting with a planned AIDC in Vietnam in collaboration with SK Innovation, utilizing energy-specialized solutions like cold energy from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant for cooling.

This is a smart play: SK Telecom is leveraging its existing network infrastructure to bridge the gap between large AIDCs and on-device AI through Edge AI and intelligent telecom solutions like AI-RAN (AI-Radio Access Network).

AI Infrastructure Component	Key Details (2025)	Strategic Impact
AI Data Center (AIDC) Hubs	Seoul (Gasan), Ulsan, Southwest Region (MoU Oct 2025)	Creates a national AI compute backbone.
Ulsan AIDC Capacity Target	Expansion to 1 GW-scale capacity	Positions Korea as Asia's largest AI infrastructure hub.
Global Expansion	Planned AIDC in Vietnam (with SK Innovation)	Entry into the high-growth Southeast Asian market.

Developing a telco-specific Large Language Model (LLM) with global partners

SK Telecom is tackling the AI software layer through a unique global collaboration to build a telco-specific Large Language Model (LLM). This specialized model is designed to have a higher comprehension of telecom services and customer intent than general-purpose LLMs, making it ideal for AI-driven call centers and customer service.

The company is a founding party of the Global Telco AI Alliance (GTAA), which includes:

• Deutsche Telekom
• e&
• Singtel
• SoftBank Corp.

The GTAA signed a Joint Venture agreement in June 2024 to co-develop this multilingual Telco LLM. The model will support languages including Korean, English, German, Arabic, and Bahasa, aiming to serve a combined global customer base of approximately 1.3 billion across 50 countries.

Capital expenditures were KRW 552.2 billion in the first half of 2025, mostly for 5G

While the long-term focus is AI, near-term capital expenditure (CapEx) remains heavily focused on the core mobile business. For the first half of the 2025 fiscal year (H1 2025), SK Telecom reported CapEx of KRW 552.2 billion. The majority of this spending was directed toward enhancing and optimizing the 5G network capabilities and improving overall service quality. This is the reality of a telecom company in transition: you have to fund the future without letting the current cash cow starve.

Here's the quick math on the near-term spend versus the long-term AI commitment:

• H1 2025 CapEx: KRW 552.2 billion.
• Primary Allocation: 5G network enhancement.
• Five-Year AI Investment Plan: KRW 5 trillion.

This continued 5G investment is defintely necessary to maintain premium service and subscriber growth-the company ended Q2 2025 with 17 million 5G subscribers. This base provides the stable cash flow needed to fund the aggressive AI pivot.

SK Telecom Co.,Ltd (SKM) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

New AI Framework Act, enacted in late 2024, is scheduled to take effect.

You need to move quickly to audit your AI systems, even though the new law isn't fully in force yet. South Korea's 'Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence Development and Establishment of a Foundation for Trustworthiness' (AI Framework Act) was promulgated on January 21, 2025, but it defintely won't take effect until January 22, 2026. This one-year transition period is your window to build a compliance framework for your AI services, like the ones under your AI & Digital Infrastructure business segment.

The Act introduces specific obligations, particularly for high-impact AI (systems affecting human life or fundamental rights) and generative AI. This means your AI-powered services must now include transparency measures. You must notify users that they are interacting with an AI system and clearly label any content generated by generative AI. Failure to meet these notification requirements can result in fines of up to KRW 30 million (approximately $20,578). That's a low fine, but the reputational damage from an ethics violation is a much bigger risk.

Government is pushing for legal changes to ensure affordable mobile service plans.

The regulatory environment for mobile pricing has fundamentally changed in 2025, creating a new, intense competitive risk. The National Assembly repealed the Mobile Device Distribution Improvement Act (MDDI Act) in late 2024, and the revised Telecommunications Business Act decree took effect on July 22, 2025. This massive shift eliminates the government-imposed cap on handset subsidies, which were previously restricted to a fixed carrier subsidy plus a 15% retailer discount.

Here's the quick math: the removal of the cap allows for a potential 'subsidy war,' where carriers can offer much higher discounts, even selling phones at zero-cost depending on the plan. While this is meant to ensure affordable mobile service plans for consumers, it will put significant pressure on your average revenue per user (ARPU) and marketing expenses. Also, the new rules prohibit signing contracts with multiunit buildings that restrict residents' choice of service provider, with violations carrying fines of up to 1 percent of the company's revenue. We need to be ready for a significant increase in subscriber acquisition costs (SAC) in the second half of 2025.

Data breach incident resulted in a customer compensation cost of KRW 500 billion.

The April 2025 data breach was a major financial and reputational blow, and the legal fallout is still impacting your 2025 financials. The incident compromised nearly 26.96 million customer USIM records following a yearslong hack on SK Telecom's servers. In response, the company committed to a comprehensive compensation and security package totaling KRW 1.2 trillion (around $863 million).

The direct customer compensation cost, which was expensed primarily in Q3 2025, was KRW 500 billion (approximately $366.78 million). This cost included a 50% discount on August mobile bills and additional data allowances for the rest of 2025. The financial impact was immediate and severe:

• Q3 2025 Net Income: Swung to a net deficit of KRW 166.7 billion ($117.1 million) from a profit of KRW 280.2 billion a year earlier.
• Q3 2025 Operating Profit: Plunged 90.9 percent year-on-year to KRW 48.4 billion.
• 2025 Sales Guidance: Lowered from KRW 17.8 trillion to KRW 17 trillion.

This incident is a concrete example of the cost of negligence in data protection. The remaining KRW 700 billion is earmarked for security investments over the next five years, which is a necessary, long-term operational cost.

Increased regulatory oversight on platform operators to prevent deceptive practices.

The government is extending its consumer protection focus beyond mobile services into your platform businesses. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) is strengthening oversight of platform operators, which includes your subsidiaries like T-map Mobility and SK Planet. The goal is to crack down on deceptive practices, often called 'dark patterns,' that mislead customers.

The regulatory push includes implementing 'strict measures' against:

• Unclear presentation of Terms of Use that obscure service rates.
• Misleading claims about paid membership benefits.
• Unfair cancellation penalties for subscription services.

The KCC is also developing an 'Online Service User Protection Act,' which is essentially a localized version of the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA). This new law will require platform operators to take enhanced social responsibility, including actively preventing illegal content distribution and being transparent about their content exposure criteria. This means your platform management teams must overhaul user interfaces and contract language now to avoid future compliance penalties and customer complaints.

SK Telecom Co.,Ltd (SKM) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

Corporate goal is to achieve Net Zero 2050 for all operations

SK Telecom Co.,Ltd has anchored its long-term environmental strategy on achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050, a commitment validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This isn't just a distant goal; it drives near-term operational decisions. For the 2025 fiscal year, the company has set a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Target of -5% compared to the 2020 baseline, which is a critical metric for investors focused on transition risk.

The roadmap for this reduction is baked into the financial planning through an internal carbon pricing (ICP) mechanism. Honestly, this is a smart way to force accountability. The mid-term ICP for the 2025-2029 period is set at KRW 78,000 per/tCO2e (Korean Won per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent), which makes carbon-intensive projects defintely more expensive internally. However, the projected total GHG emissions for 2025 are still high at 1,052 thousand tCO2e, reflecting the immediate energy demands of expanding AI infrastructure.

Committed to the RE100 initiative, focusing on 100% renewable energy use

The company is a formal participant in the global RE100 initiative, which mandates sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable energy by 2050. This is a major undertaking in the South Korean market, where renewable energy supply remains a challenge. The near-term target for 2025 is to reach an 11% renewable energy usage ratio, a figure that was adjusted downward due to domestic market constraints, showing the realism in their planning.

To hit these targets, SK Telecom is employing a mix of strategies, including self-generation and external agreements. Here's the quick math on their current capacity:

• Solar Self-Generation: Installed capacity of 4.9 MW (megawatts).
• Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) and Green Premium Contracts: Secured 209.176 GWh in 2023, which represented 8.6% of total electricity consumption that year.
• Future Strategy: Aggressively pursuing Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to reach the 2030 goal of 65% renewable energy use.

The ESG Committee under the Board of Directors oversees environmental strategy

Environmental strategy isn't left to a siloed department; it's a board-level mandate. The ESG Committee, a sub-committee of the Board of Directors, holds the ultimate decision-making authority for company-wide environmental management. This structure ensures that climate-related risks and opportunities are reviewed at the highest level, directly influencing corporate strategy.

The committee is composed of four outside directors, which helps ensure independent oversight. For context on their activity, the committee held seven meetings in 2023, where they reviewed six key climate-related issues, including net zero plans and carbon emissions key performance indicators (KPIs). This level of governance is crucial for translating abstract environmental goals into tangible business actions.

Transforming infrastructure into eco-friendly AI data centers

The shift to a global AI company presents a massive energy risk, but SK Telecom is mapping this to an opportunity through eco-friendly infrastructure. They are building one of Korea's largest Artificial Intelligence Data Centers (AIDCs) with an initial power consumption capacity of 100 MW and a housing capacity for 60,000 Graphic Processing Units (GPUs), a huge power draw.

The environmental mitigation strategy centers on next-generation cooling and modular design. Modular AI data centers, for example, are a game-changer because they are designed to double power efficiency while simultaneously reducing construction costs by 70%. Also, the company is actively developing next-generation cooling solutions, including liquid cooling, through partnerships with companies like Giga Computing and SK Enmove. This is a clear action to manage the energy-intensive nature of AI growth.

The table below summarizes the key environmental metrics and targets for the near-term:

Metric Category	2025 Target/Value	Context/Baseline
Net Zero Goal	Achieve Net Zero by 2050	SBTi-approved target.
GHG Reduction Target (Scope 1 & 2)	-5% reduction (vs 2020)	Part of the phased Net Zero Roadmap.
Projected GHG Emissions (tCO2e)	1,052 thousand tCO2e	Projected emissions for the year.
RE100 Renewable Energy Use	11% of total electricity use	Adjusted target due to domestic supply challenges.
Mid-term Internal Carbon Price (ICP)	KRW 78,000 per/tCO2e	Applied to new projects and investments (2025-2029).
New AI Data Center Capacity	100 MW initial power capacity	Planned hyperscale facility, aiming for 1-2 GW long-term expansion.