Anthropic announced its intention to open an office in Seoul in early 2026, marking its third location in the Asia-Pacific region. This expansion follows the establishment of offices in Tokyo and Bengaluru, reflecting substantial growth in the region.
Key Points
- Anthropic's Asia-Pacific run-rate revenue has grown over 10x in the past year.
- Korean users are among the top five globally for Claude's total usage and per capita usage.
- Over a quarter of Claude Code users are from Asia-Pacific countries, with active weekly Claude Code users in Korea growing 6x in the past four months.
- A Korean software engineer is currently ranked as the world's top Claude Code user.
- Law&Company uses Claude for an AI legal assistant, nearly doubling lawyer efficiency.
- SK Telecom utilizes Claude to develop a custom AI customer service model.
- The number of large business accounts in Asia-Pacific, each representing over $100,000 in run-rate revenue, has grown 8x in the past year.
Context
According to Anthropic, the expansion into Seoul aligns with the Korean government's goal to become a top-three global hub for AI development. Anthropic leaders are scheduled to visit Seoul to engage with customers and partners. The company notes strong adoption of Claude in Korea, particularly for complex coding and enterprise applications.
Why It Matters
The establishment of a local presence in Seoul allows Anthropic to provide direct support to Korean enterprises and startups, fostering closer collaboration in a market demonstrating high technical talent and advanced AI adoption. This move aims to integrate Anthropic's frontier AI capabilities with Korea's technological ecosystem.
What To Do
- Note Anthropic's planned expansion into Seoul by early 2026.
- Observe the reported 10x growth in Anthropic's APAC run-rate revenue.
- Consider the reported 6x growth in active weekly Claude Code users in Korea over the past four months.
- Watch for further announcements regarding Anthropic's partnerships and initiatives in Korea.