KT said on the 31st that it will carry out a 2026 organizational reshuffle and executive appointments to strengthen the telecommunications business's "solid essence," achieve "certain growth" centered on AX, and leap forward as Korea's No. 1 "AX (AI transformation) platform corporations (AX Platform Company)."
This organizational reshuffle and executive appointments put front and center bold personnel renewal, improved management efficiency, and strengthened on-site management focused on customer service and quality to restore internal and external trust and maximize fundamental competitiveness. The plan is to streamline the organization for agility and drive future growth by selecting talent based on expertise and performance. Through this, KT will strengthen core infrastructure for the AI era while delivering innovative customer experiences.
Park Yun-young, KT CEO, said, "Strengthening the telecommunications business's competitive 'solid essence' is the starting point for restoring customer trust and innovation," adding, "Based on this, we will build a virtuous cycle of 'certain growth' that maximizes hyper-personalized and industry-specific AX capabilities, and concentrate companywide capabilities to leap forward as Korea's No. 1 AX platform corporations."
◇ Executive-level organizations cut by 30% and major department heads fully replaced… "Organizational streamlining and sweeping personnel renewal"
To overcome the crisis and strengthen sound management, KT fully replaced department heads reporting directly to the CEO and carried out high-intensity personnel renewal, including appointing and empowering young, ability-centered leadership in B2B (business-to-business) and AX businesses and the AI field. Notably, Vice President Kim Bong-gyun, born in 1972, was promoted to vice president and will oversee the B2B business. In addition, Vice President Ok Kyung-hwa, as a female executive, was promoted to vice president for the first time at KT and will oversee the IT technology field.
In addition, internal talent was appointed to key posts. Park Hyun-jin was appointed head of the Customer division. Park, who served as a major Deputy Minister within the Customer division and as CEO of Millie's Library and other core content affiliates in the group, is the top expert in the B2C (business-to-consumer) field and returned to KT with a promotion from senior executive director to vice president. For head of the Network division, Kim Young-in, a telecommunications infrastructure expert with comprehensive experience in building, operating, and quality control of fixed and wireless networks, was promoted to vice president and appointed.
KT also plans to recruit industry-recognized experts to advance business competitiveness and management control, including compliance management, based on expertise. In addition, to strengthen swift decision-making and execution in rapidly changing industry and market environments, the existing executive-level organizations will be drastically reduced by about 30% to streamline the organization and reinforce the telecommunications business's fundamental competitiveness.
◇ Companywide security governance integrated into "information security office" and AI R&D dedicated "AX future technology institute" reorganized
KT will also establish strong companywide security governance with restoring market trust as the top priority. Dispersed security functions such as IT and networks will be integrated into the "information security office," and the company will devote all efforts to overhauling a top-tier security system through comprehensive, high-intensity innovation centered on the chief information security officer (CISO).
For head of the information security office (CISO), the company recruited Senior Executive Director Lee Sang-woon, a security expert with more than 30 years of experience in information protection and all areas of financial IT at the Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute. The company said Lee is expected to lead the restoration of internal and external trust through continuous innovation and strengthening of the security framework in an environment that demands strong security governance for corporations.
To enhance technology leadership and expertise, KT will separate the previously integrated AI research and development and IT functions. The R&D organization will be reorganized into the "AX future technology institute" to strengthen next-generation technology development and focus on securing differentiated AI technology. Companywide IT governance and platform operation, and IT infrastructure modernization will be handled by the newly established IT division.
KT will also significantly strengthen network infrastructure investment and professional personnel to elevate telecommunications and IT quality—its fundamental competitiveness—to the highest level. To that end, the company will carry out bold facility investments to improve wireless network quality and substantially reinforce on-site professional personnel dedicated to network operation and maintenance.
◇ New "AX business division" established… framework set to accelerate growth of B2B AX business
To strengthen competitiveness and accelerate growth in the B2B AX field, KT will establish an "AX business division." By consolidating functions that had been dispersed—from strategy development to proposals, technology development, alliances and partnerships, and service market expansion—the company will strengthen accountable management and build an organic business execution framework. Senior Executive Director Park Sang-won, who will be recruited as head of the AX business division, is a former head of consulting at Samjong KPMG and an expert in the AX consulting field spanning strategy, technology, and business execution. Park has extensive experience leading collaborations with global platform corporations and numerous large-scale AX projects. Centered on Park, KT plans to build an AX expert group to drive AX transformation for domestic public-sector and corporate clients and expand its market position through tangible results.
In the B2C area, the existing Customer division will be integrated with the Media division to accelerate innovation in customer experience that spans fixed and wireless communications and media, and respond nimbly to market changes.
◇ Seven regional headquarters integrated into four, and full redeployment of Total TF personnel to improve customer service
In particular, to strengthen on-site execution and speed up decision-making, KT will streamline its organizational structure. The existing system of seven integrated (B2C, B2B, network) regional headquarters will be consolidated into four regions (northern Seoul metro, southern Seoul metro, east, west), and placed directly under the related business divisions including B2C, B2B, and network to increase strategic alignment between headquarters and the field.
For example, the seven "customer headquarters" that handled B2C business within the existing regional headquarters will be incorporated into four headquarters within the Customer division, the corporate customer headquarters will be incorporated into the Enterprise division, and the NW operations headquarters will be incorporated into the Network division. The company said that through this, on-site support will be strengthened in areas where close companywide communication is required, such as B2C, B2B, and network, leading to tangible market results.
In addition, the "Total Sales Center" organization that conducted direct sales in the field will be abolished, and its personnel will be fully redeployed to areas with staff shortages in the field. By increasing personnel not only for sales tasks but also in areas that can enhance customer-perceived quality, such as customer service support and information security inspections, the company plans to work to restore its standing as the standard-bearer in telecommunications.
Meanwhile, staff organizations such as the public relations office, CR office, and SCM office will be reorganized to report directly to the chief executive officer (CEO) to further enhance expertise and risk response capabilities.
◇ Vice presidents (6)
KT
▲Kim Young-in▲Ok Kyung-hwa
affiliates
▲Kim Bong-gyun▲Kim Young-jin▲Park Hyun-jin▲Ji Jung-yong
◇ Senior executive directors (5)
KT
▲Kwon Hye-jin▲Kwon Hee-geun▲Heo Tae-jun
affiliates
▲Kim Sang-gyun▲Choi Kyung-il
◇ Executive directors (20)
KT
▲Kim Dae-hyun▲Kim Dae-hoe▲Kim Beom-min▲Kim Byung-jin▲Park Jae-hyung▲Baek Seung-taek▲Shin Se-beom▲Ye Beom-su▲Oh Beom-seok▲Lee Seong-hwan▲Lee Seung-ho▲Lee Young-ho▲Lee Jin-hyung▲Jeon Myeong-jun▲Choi Se-jun▲Choi Ok-jin▲Han Jong-uk
affiliates
▲Kang Hyun-gu▲Park Se-ju▲Jung Young-hoon
◇ Associate executive directors
KT
▲Ko Young-geun▲Kim Gwang-hee▲Kim Byung-chan▲Kim Seung-hwa▲Kim Jae-hyun▲Kim Jong-hyeok▲Kim Chong-Hee▲Kim Jun-young▲Park Kwang-soo▲Park Sung-woo▲Park Seung-young▲Park Ye-kyung▲Park Jong-il▲Seong Jong-seok▲Song Gwang-seong▲Shin Dong-gyun▲Shin Dong-ho▲Oh Hong-seok▲Lee Un-mun▲Lee Jung-hyeok▲Lim Ho-jun▲Jung Yong-seop▲Jung Eun-bae▲Cho Bong-cheol▲Joo Seok-hoon▲Joo Yun-seok▲Ji Yoon-taek▲Choi Jin-hae▲Heo Jae-ho