KT rolls out AI store assistant to break language barriers for int'l customers

For foreign nationals and travelers in Korea, setting up a mobile phone plan has long been a notorious bureaucratic gauntlet, complicated by rigid registration laws and a steep language barrier. KT Corp., one of the country’s dominant telecommunications carriers, is betting that artificial intelligence (AI) can solve this persistent friction point at the retail counter.

The company said Monday that it is introducing an "AI Multilingual Counselor" across its retail stores, a first for the Korean telecom industry. Developed to assist foreign customers in their native tongues, the digital assistant handles inquiries regarding complex pricing structures, data plans, contract terms and corporate membership perks. The system launches with support for more than 20 languages, including English, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese.

The initiative is part of a broader push by Korean conglomerates to apply AI in customer-facing operations, a trend the industry terms "AI transformation." Rather than replacing human capital, the digital counselors are designed to act as on-floor co-pilots. At high-traff