OpenAI's Sam Altman postpones visit to Korea

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks to reporters after meeting with Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, June 3 (local time), in Washington, DC. AFP-Yonhap

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's visit to Korea scheduled for next week has been postponed due to personal reasons, the artificial intelligence (AI) research organization and industry sources said Friday.

Altman was originally scheduled to arrive in Korea on Sunday for a two-day trip that included meetings with major technology companies, including Samsung Electronics, to discuss cooperation in AI.

During the visit, Altman was also expected to meet executives from portal operator Naver and mobile platform operator Kakao.

"Korea is a very important country and a strategic partner for OpenAI," the company said in a statement. "Our ongoing collaborations with domestic partners will continue as planned."

OpenAI added that it hopes Altman will be able to visit Korea again in the near future and meet local partners in person.

The company did not disclose further details regarding the reason for the postponement or a revised schedule for Altman's visit.