OpenAI CEO Sam Altman postpones South Korea visit, citing personal reasons

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has postponed his planned visit to South Korea, which had been scheduled to begin Sunday for a two-day stay.

OpenAI said Friday that Altman had postponed his South Korea visit and broader Asia tour due to unavoidable personal circumstances. "As he was very much looking forward to this visit, he deeply regrets not being able to keep the planned schedule," the company said in an official statement.

Altman had been set to arrive Sunday as part of an Asia tour, with plans to visit Samsung Electronics' Digital City campus in Suwon on Monday to hold a "DX Insight Talk" with employees from the company's DX division. His two-day itinerary also included a meeting with Kakao staff.

OpenAI said South Korea remains a strategically important partner and that ongoing collaboration with domestic partners would continue as planned. "We look forward to CEO Altman visiting Korea again in the near future to greet everyone in person, and we ask for your kind understanding," the company said.

No specific reason for the cancellation was given, and a rescheduled date for the South Korea visit has not been announced.