SK Telecom Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

SK Telecom reported revenue of KRW 4.36 trillion, up 0.5% year over year, while operating income jumped 67.3% to KRW 566 billion, helped by cost controls and the absence of prior-year cybersecurity incident expenses.

The company established SK Hyper with a KRW 750 billion commitment to secure sites, power and resources for large-scale AI data centers. AIDC revenue rose 92.5%, and SK Telecom is targeting phased expansion toward 5 gigawatts, supported by external funding and strategic partners.

SK Telecom said its mobile business was stabilizing through retention efforts and higher-quality subscriber additions, while setting its quarterly dividend at KRW 830 per share and reaffirming its commitment to stable shareholder returns.

SK Telecom reported second-quarter 2026 consolidated revenue of KRW 4.36 trillion, up 0.5% from a year earlier, as continued data-center growth supported its top line. Consolidated operating income rose 67.3% year over year to KRW 566 billion, reflecting a comparison against cybersecurity incident-related expenses recorded in the second quarter of 2025, along with cost controls and profitability-focused management.

Chief Financial Officer Park Jong-seok said the company’s mobile business was showing a “clear recovery” as SK Telecom focused on customer value and profitability. At the same time, the company said its AI operations were moving from strategy development into execution and expansion, led by investments in AI data-center infrastructure, or AIDC.

SK Telecom set its second-quarter dividend per share at KRW 830. Park said the company intends to maintain stable shareholder returns while balancing growth investments, financial soundness and dividends.

Park said the mobile market had stabilized compared with the prior quarter, and SK Telecom continued to post net additions of handset subscribers by targeting higher-quality customer segments and using differentiated marketing campaigns. In July, the company introduced new mobile plans that integrate its 5G and LTE pricing structures and simplify its overall offerings. SK Telecom said the changes are intended to improve customer experience and service accessibility, supporting customer retention.

The company did not provide subscriber totals, average revenue per user figures or further mobile-service financial details during the call.

SK Telecom announced the establishment of SK Hyper, a dedicated subsidiary for AIDC business development. The company said the new unit will secure land, sites, power and water resources, attract global customers and lead project development for large-scale AI data centers. Park said securing land and power is an essential prerequisite for the AIDC business. He said SK Hyper was designed to obtain those assets preemptively while creating a more flexible business structure that can actively use external funding.

SK Telecom has committed KRW 750 billion to SK Hyper, including KRW 330 billion planned for investment this year. The funds will initially be used for such activities as securing sites, including in Ulsan, and building substations needed for gigawatt-scale data-center operations. The remaining commitment is expected to be injected in installments beginning next year. SK Hyper is separate from SK Broadband’s existing data-center business, according to Park.