South Korea’s government, public institutions and companies are set to gain access to advanced cybersecurity artificial intelligence models under a new initiative led by OpenAI, marking a significant step in the global expansion of defensive AI capabilities.
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon said the company will include Korean stakeholders in its cybersecurity program, enabling vetted professionals to use its latest AI systems to identify vulnerabilities, strengthen defenses and secure critical infrastructure. He emphasized that AI can play a transformative role in cybersecurity by accelerating threat detection and improving response efficiency, while positioning OpenAI as a long-term partner to Korea.
Central to the initiative is Korea’s participation in OpenAI’s Daybreak program, which grants access through the Governmental Trusted Access for Cyber (GTAC) framework. This restricted-access tier is designed for verified cybersecurity experts, allowing them to deploy specialized AI models to test and reinforce system resilience. The program will also be gradually extended to private-sector companies operating in key industries, reflecting growing demand for advanced defensive tools across the broader economy.
According to OpenAI, Korea’s inclusion marks one of the first such collaborations in Asia alongside Japan, with participating institutions gaining access to its high-performance cybersecurity model, GPT-5.5-Cyber. The Korea Internet & Security Agency will oversee implementation at the national level, ensuring proper governance and operational control.
The agreement was confirmed following a meeting between Kwon and Ryu Je-myung, Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, highlighting government-level support for integrating advanced AI into national cybersecurity strategies. In addition to Korea and Japan, the United States and Canada are also participants in the GTAC program, underscoring a growing coalition of countries seeking to strengthen cyber resilience through controlled AI access.
The move comes amid increasing global concern over the misuse of powerful AI systems, including OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 and competing models such as Mythos developed by Anthropic. These concerns have prompted major AI developers to establish controlled-access initiatives like OpenAI’s Daybreak and Anthropic’s Project Glasswing, both aimed at ensuring that advanced capabilities are first deployed in the hands of trusted defenders rather than malicious actors.
Kwon noted that OpenAI’s approach is designed to be more broadly accessible to qualified institutions compared to similar programs, with the goal of accelerating defensive readiness. He added that the initiative will continue to evolve, incorporating future AI models such as GPT-5.6 and GPT-6, ensuring that trusted cybersecurity professionals have timely access to the most advanced tools available.
While discussions are ongoing with private companies in Korea, specific partners have yet to be disclosed. OpenAI reiterated that the overarching objective is to democratize access to advanced defensive AI within a trusted framework, enabling governments, institutions and enterprises to better protect digital infrastructure and नागरिकs while supporting long-term economic resilience and growth.