Anthropic Opens Seoul Office and Appoints KiYoung Choi as Director

Anthropic has announced the opening of an office in Seoul and the appointment of KiYoung Choi as Korea's representative. This investment reflects Claude's growing popularity in the Korean market, where the platform is used far more actively than in other countries.

Korea as a Center of AI Innovation

According to Anthropic's latest Economic Index, Koreans use Claude 3.5 times more frequently than would be expected based on population. This is one of the highest rates globally. Usage is concentrated in technical and creative work: software development, data analysis, writing, and content creation.

Korea's technological landscape is unique. The country leads in electronics and semiconductors (Samsung, SK Hynix), has one of the world's fastest internet speeds, and an active developer community. Claude finds application across diverse industries—from small startups to the largest corporations. This is a market where large language models meet real demand.

Real-world applications already exist. Law&Company, a legal firm, uses Claude for an AI assistant that accelerates legal database searches and document preparation without losing accuracy. SK Telecom, Korea's largest telecommunications operator, has deployed Claude for a custom customer service model that improves support quality and reduces operator workload. These are not pilot projects: production deployments at the scale of major organizations.

A Leader with the Right Experience

KiYoung Choi, Korea's new representative, joined Anthropic from Snowflake, where he led the business for the Korean market for three years. Behind him lies more than three decades of experience leading tech companies in Korea and the APAC region. Choi has worked at Google Cloud, Adobe, Autodesk, and Microsoft, helping Korea's largest companies navigate waves of technological transformation: cloud, mobile, and now AI.

Choi's appointment is no accident. Anthropic selects leaders who understand not only tech business but also local culture. Choi knows how to work with large corporations, support startups, and build government relationships—a rare combination of competencies.

"Korea is one of the most advanced AI markets on the planet. We lead in hardware innovation, developers here are competent and active, and enterprises quickly adopt new technology. Korean organizations combine technical depth with a responsible approach to AI deployment. This is exactly where I see Anthropic growing long-term," Choi said.

Regional Development Plan

The new team in Seoul will focus on four key areas:

• Partnerships with Korean enterprises and the rapidly growing startup community
• Engagement with Korean government and research institutions
• Developer support: hackathons, localized documentation, community meetups
• Go-to-market strategy tailored to Korean market specifics

Anthropc leadership plans to visit Seoul in the coming weeks for an official office opening and meetings with key clients. Chris Ciauri, Managing Director of International at Anthropic, noted: "Korea is one of the markets where we see the most enthusiasm for Claude. KiYoung will build a team and create local partnerships to support what Korean organizations are already building on Claude."

What This Means

For Korea's tech community, this is confirmation that Anthropic views Korea not as one of many markets, but as a strategic regional hub. For Claude, this is another powerful focus with direct leadership support. For Korea itself, it strengthens its status as a leading AI hub where the world's top AI companies come to build locally and invest long-term.