KT CEO Ku Hyeon-mo, right, talks with Ferdinand Marcos Jr., president of the Philippines, at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Oct. 14. Courtesy of KT

By Baek Byung-yeul

Ku Hyeon-mo, CEO of Korean telecom company KT, met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and discussed ways to improve the Southeast Asian nation's digital technology capability, according to the mobile carrier, Monday.

KT said Ku visited the presidential palace in Manila on Oct. 14. Marcos Jr., who took office in June, has stressed that he aims to establish an efficient national administrative system and improve the standard of living of the people through information and communication technology (ICT).

During the meeting, Ku said he thinks the Philippines has great potential in the ICT sector, saying "the president's vision and Korea's aim to create a digital platform government are in line with each other."

Specifically, the CEO said the Philippines could be a key regional area for submarine cables and can emerge as a key country to resolve personnel shortages in the ICT sector, if the country focuses on nurturing more ICT professionals.

"KT has grown into a telecommunications company in Korea, but it has recently been reborn as a digital platform company based on its capabilities in artificial intelligence, big data and media," the CEO said. "Based on the know-how of Korean companies, they will be able to help resolve the social issues that the Philippines is facing such as transportation and housing shortage."

KT has been doing business with the Philippines since establishing its branch there in 2018. The company completed the construction of a 1,570-kilometer-long optical cable backbone network in Luzon. In 2021, the company also won an order to build ICT infrastructure in Palawan and is discovering additional business opportunities there.

Ku said he will actively seek more digital transformation business opportunities in other countries based on the success the company has achieved in the Korean market.

"The digital platform industry is in its early stages around the world and is expected to have a high growth rate. We will try to advance into the global market based on our success in the domestic market," Ku said.