Photo = SK Telecom

 

 

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SK Broadband has become a wholly owned subsidiary of SK Telecom (017670) for the first time in five years, a move aimed at enhancing synergies between the two companies—particularly in the artificial intelligence data center (AI DC) business.



On May 14, SK Broadband announced that SK Telecom’s ownership stake in the company has increased from 74.3% to 99.1%.



This follows SK Telecom’s acquisition of a 24.8% stake previously held by Taekwang Group and Mirae Asset Group. In November last year, SK Telecom signed a share purchase agreement to acquire the full 24.8% stake for KRW 1.15 trillion. Taekwang and Mirae Asset became key shareholders in 2020 when SK Broadband acquired cable TV operator Tbroad.



This marks the first time in about five years that SK Broadband has returned to being a fully owned subsidiary of SK Telecom. An SK Telecom official stated, “We completed the stake acquisition to secure strategic autonomy and flexibility for accelerating our future growth business, including AI data centers. We expect this move will significantly enhance synergies between the two companies.”



At the group level, SK is also supporting the AI data center initiatives of both firms. On May 12, SK Inc. held a board meeting and approved the sale of a 30MW data center in Pangyo—owned by SK AX (formerly SK C&C)—to SK Broadband for approximately KRW 500 billion. With the acquisition of the Pangyo facility, SK Broadband will operate a total of nine data centers, including those in Gasan, Seocho, and Ilsan. The company plans to proactively respond to rising demand for AI and cloud services while strengthening its foundation for sustainable growth through economies of scale.

 

 

 

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