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https://www.wired.com/story/sk-telecom-anthropic-mythos-export-controls/
This is a partial translation of the article by Gemini.
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While SK Telecom itself does not appear to operate large-scale businesses in China, it is a member of the much larger conglomerate SK Group, which maintains extensive business interests in China across semiconductors, energy, and other industries.
According to annual reports, SK Telecom's revenue recorded in China in 2024 was only approximately $1.9 million, primarily generated through investment-related activities, and the company employed only 7 people locally.
However, SK Telecom's involvement in China's telecommunications industry dates back more than 20 years. In 2004, SK Telecom and China Unicom, a state-owned telecommunications operator, established a joint venture called 'UNISK' to provide wireless internet and mobile content services in China. This was one of the first joint ventures between a foreign company and a Chinese telecom operator.
In 2006, SK Telecom invested $1 billion in convertible bonds issued by China Unicom's Hong Kong-listed entity, which eventually converted to approximately 6.6% stake. However, this partnership began to unwind a few years later. SK Telecom sold its stake to China Unicom for approximately $1.3 billion in 2009, but maintained small financial interests related to the joint venture. In its 2025 annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), SK Telecom reported its investment in UNISK at approximately $17 million.
In 2021, the first Trump administration restricted U.S. capital investments in China Unicom as part of broad measures targeting Chinese companies deemed by Washington to be linked to China's military and intelligence sectors.
In April of this year, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed measures to prohibit U.S. telecommunications companies from interconnecting with Chinese telecom operators such as China Unicom on national security grounds, and China Unicom recently warned that this could disrupt global telecommunications networks.
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