SK Telecom二季度利润大增但AIDC增长与5GW规划基本属预期内确认

SK Telecom (017670.KS) raised its second-quarter operating profit by 67.3% from a year earlier, driven by rapid growth in its artificial intelligence (AI) data center business and improved profitability in its telecommunications operations. AI data center (AIDC) revenue reached 136.2 billion won, up 92.5% from a year earlier to nearly double. SK Telecom plans to build 5GW of AI data centers in phases by 2029, spearheaded by SK Hyper, a dedicated AI data center unit established last month.
SK Telecom reported second-quarter consolidated revenue of 4.3591 trillion won, operating profit of 566 billion won, and net profit of 466 billion won, the company said on the 5th. Compared with the same period last year, revenue rose 0.5%, operating profit increased 67.3%, and net profit surged 459.8%. Against the previous quarter, revenue fell 0.8%, while operating profit and net profit rose 5.3% and 47.3%, respectively. A base effect from one-time costs incurred last year also contributed to the operating profit increase.
On a standalone basis, the company posted revenue of 3.117 trillion won, operating profit of 427.7 billion won, and net profit of 310.6 billion won. SK Telecom decided on a dividend of 830 won per share for the second quarter, following the first quarter.
The AI data center business showed the fastest growth among all businesses. Second-quarter AI data center revenue reached 136.2 billion won, up 92.5% from a year earlier. The growth resulted from expanded data center operating capacity and rising demand for high-performance computing infrastructure amid the spread of generative AI. AI data center revenue accounts for about 3.1% of consolidated revenue.
Last month, SK Telecom established SK Hyper, which is dedicated to developing the AI data center business. SK Hyper takes on the role of securing sites and power in advance and attracting global customers. SK Telecom aims to bring 5GW of AI data centers into operation in phases by 2029, centered on SK Hyper.
In the telecommunications business, mobile subscribers continued their net growth. The company explained that it increased subscribers even in a stabilized mobile market through the discovery of new customer segments and improved marketing efficiency. Last month, it launched an integrated 5G-LTE plan to improve its pricing structure and service accessibility.
"In the first half, we strengthened our foundations based on the stable earnings of our telecommunications business, while laying the groundwork for the AI data center business to expand rapidly," said Park Jong-seok, chief financial officer (CFO) of SK Telecom. "SK Telecom will play a leading role in helping Korea leap forward as Asia's AI infrastructure hub."