On February 26, 2018, SK Telecom announced it would invest KRW 70 billion (USD 65 million) in ID Quantique (IDQ), a Geneva-based quantum-safe cryptography solutions provider. The investment made SK Telecom a majority shareholder in IDQ, giving the Korean telecom operator access to advanced quantum key distribution (QKD) hardware and expertise. As part of the transaction, SK Telecom’s quantum laboratory, established in 2011, was absorbed into IDQ.
According to SK Telecom’s press release, the two companies would also collaborate on quantum sensing technologies. IDQ, founded in 2001 as a spin-off from the University of Geneva, had launched the world’s first commercial QKD system in 2006. The strategic partnership positioned SK Telecom as a leading commercial player in quantum communications in Asia and established the foundation for South Korea’s subsequent national QKD network deployments.