South Korea's second-largest telecom operator KT Corp named Park Yoon-young as its new CEO.

Park's appointment was confirmed at the company's shareholders meeting this week as part of an organizational restructure and executive reshuffle.

As reported by The Korea Times, the reshuffle aims to bolster KT's core telecom business and ramp its growth in AI and artificial transformation (AX).

The reshuffle will focus on introducing younger executives as the AI era takes shape, while execs noted at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that KT is integrating its research and development unit with its new AX division to focus on AI development. Beyond this, a newly created IT division will oversee platform operations and infrastructure modernization.

Park has been at the company since 1992, joining when the carrier was known as Korea Telecom. During his three decades at the operator, he's held several roles, including head of the future business division and head of the Convergence Research Division.

Park's appointment ends KT's leadership search after former CEO Kim Young-seop offered his resignation following a major cybersecurity breach last year.

Park's appointment also comes at a time when the carrier is set to overhaul its executives. Korea Times reports that this overhaul will see a 30% cut in executive-level officials and a full replacement of key department heads as part of plans to rebuild trust following the cybersecurity breach, streamline management, and boost operational agility.

Park reiterated that the company's AI push will be the core driver of KT’s next phase.

“AI transformation is rapidly changing the order of industries and the very way companies exist,” Park said. “We will develop KT into a national key telecommunications operator responsible for the present and future of Korea’s network, and into an AI platform company leading the AI era.”

Park added that KT won't compromise on investments in network infrastructure, service quality, and cybersecurity, as the carrier wants to push its AX platform company.